


Daughters Search

by yakuit



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Abduction, Angst, Captivity, Escape, Hunted, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Running Away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-27
Updated: 2013-02-27
Packaged: 2017-12-03 20:23:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/702284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yakuit/pseuds/yakuit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before the final battle to destroy the death star II, a daughter searches for the truth, and a father discovers the extent of the deception that imprisons his soul. The chase is on, the hunt begins. There is no escape - it is their destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daughters Search

A Daughter’s Search

Before the final battle to destroy the death star II, a daughter searches for the truth, and a father discovers the extent of the deception that imprisons his soul. The chase is on, the hunt begins. There is no escape - it is their destiny.  
………………………………......................................................

Rebel alliance - unoccupied space  
The Saviour - Medical frigate 

Chewbacca roared, his unhappiness clear to even the most obtuse observer. The Rebel crew cast him harassed looks but wisely kept their distance. It was not wise to upset an already volatile Wookie.

Leia glanced at him in exasperation, trying to ignore the Wookie’s sorrowful growls and howls as only a Princess could do, as she manoeuvred around him, loading crates and luggage to a small Delta personal carrier.  
“Your life debt is to Han not me”, she muttered for the hundredth time, rubbing her bruised knuckles on her flight suit.

“A Wookie gives allegiance where he deems it your highness and”, added Han a twinkle in his eye softening his words to their own private endearment, he leant somewhat crookedly against the bulkhead “…its not wise to argue with a Wookie”.

“Han!” Leia ran to him leaping into his arms, her arms twinning around his neck as she kissed him boldly. Han snapped his arm around her slender waist. His eyes widened in surprise as he responded as best he could. However after only 2 days his hibernation sickness made him feel as light headed as omni punk. He swayed and Leia gave a rueful chuckle, bracing his legs, as she whispered into his ear “Wore you out this morning did I?”

Han glanced around, and actually blushed as he noticed the crew unashamedly watching this fascinating turn of events. The pirate and the ice princess. He kissed her forehead unobtrusively feeling for signs of fever., his princess was not usually so public. Chewbacca as always had his back and roared in laughter, which sounded terrifying to the crew who did not understand Wookie. The crew suddenly found many other jobs to do and magically the loading bay cleared. He groaned into her hair holding her tight, knowing this story would be half way round the fleet by noontime. “Sweetheart, why are you doing this?”

Leia stiffened, and looked away, “Han I have to” she paused looking at him pleadingly “please understand”. 

Han opened his mouth to protest. Then closed it. He loved her and if he loved her he had to let her go, had to let her do this. The rebel fleet was preparing for the next attack on the Deathstar and soon she would be unable to break away even for a short while. He kissed her again, and held her tight. Nodding in a calm acceptance he did not feel.

A captain coughed unobtrusively, “Princess Leia, the ship is loaded you will be cleared for take off momentarily”. Leia nodded and leaned back to give Han a watery smile. “Gotta go”.

Han glared at the captain,” Ok sweetheart if this is what you want, you have 3 days then I am coming to Naboo to get you”.

Leia arched her eyebrow, “you think both ship and master will be ready”. Han wagged his finger, “By the stars Leia, three days and then me and Chewie are taking the falcon and coming to get you”.  
Leia kissed him and without looking back strode to the ship.  
“May the force be with you”  
“and you”. she replied.

 

Han watched the light of the ships engines fade until he no longer distinguish it from the stars. Chewie mournfully wailed. “You said it Chewie her father should have disciplined her as a child… and I thought I was reckless” he shook his head in disbelief. They had fought for days about this, but she had been adamant, Han was not well enough to travel and Chewie was just too conspicuous, so now he had to let his love his only true love go to dangers unknown with only golden rod and R2D2 for company. He shook his head “Reckless” he muttered. Come on Chewie we’ve got to get the falcon ready for action, and I just had to notice some introverters and reverse couplings we can purloin. After all he thought, once a pirate always a pirate.

………………………………............

Princess Leia looked at her face critically in the mirror. The make up was exotic and strong. She was made up like a noble woman from Naboo aristocracy. She was hoping this would help her blend in, she certainly looked nothing like the holovids of princess Leia. She started to read again the intelligence reports she had taken this morning from the net. She had been planning this journey this search since she was a child, never believing that one day she would be able to cut all ties and follow her heart. In some ways Han was the reason, maybe it was wildness and uncontrollability that attracted her, it certainly seemed to rubbing off an her. She grinned as she remembered his face as she kissed him in front of the crew. Who would have thought a princess could shock a rascal. Her rascal, she smiled again running her hands down her breasts and waist in a pure womanly gesture. Then she caught an alien face looking back at her, she frowned and switched the mirror off.

C3PO came bustling into the room, “Oh my… gracious.. You look positively charming Princess Leia” C3PO bumbled as he looked at his mistress. “Thank you C3PO, how much time until we leave hyperspace?”  
“R2D” is disengaging the hyper drive now, we will approach normal space lanes in 3 parsecs and merge with normal traffic to remain undetected”. Leia breathed out her stomach a knot of apprehension. She could take on the entire empire without breaking a sweat, but the search for her family, her real family left her in tatters.  
“Very well, I will join you momentarily”, Leia spoke unconsciously mimicking her regal bearing.

Leia looked down at the files again, she would have to destroy them before she landed. Too dangerous to do otherwise. She sighed and picked up a picture of Bail Organa with the Naboo delegation, the photo was old, taken she was born, but she often looked at it, searching for the secrets she was sure were buried there. Was her mother one of these women, and was her father, her real father that strong regal man standing so proudly beside his Queen and Bail? She stared into space, her mind fragmenting as she remembered the day the first time her world was blown apart and not with a death star but with words.

 

Leia was crying big fat juicy tears rolling down her chubby cheeks, short hair clumping around her head. she was hiding in her papa’s office, waiting for him to get home, he would make it better. They wouldn’t find her here, they would not even think to look. It was so unfair, she didn’t know why, but she was always different from everybody else always treated just slightly differently. At school all her class mates envied her the Princess Royalty. But they had no idea how much she envied them. The second youngest of the Organa’s she never quite seemed to fit in with her family. Deanna and Breece were constantly teasing her and mocking her and it wasn’t because she was younger than them Lionne was younger by 1 year, and recently even she had joined her tormenters. Her mother never gave her the plentiful hugs and kisses that she gave the others, and if she tried to join in on a game of Beat the Wookie, her mother would proclaim a headache and wander off, leaving her to face the accusing stares of her sisters. Her father would mumble in an off hand way when she came with her tales of woe, would kiss her forehead and send her off and tell her not to be silly.   
Today it had rained merciless all day and shut inside with no way to get rid of their energy, the sisters had turned on Leia with a vengeance. The teasing had not worn out as it was usually wont to do, but had steadily increased. They dropped iggy sticks on her hair, and hid her favourite toys, only returning the after they were mangled beyond recognition. Finally one of them had gone too far and had poured hibiscus honey on her hair. She had turned into a wild thing, striking out and punching, scratching and biting. Her sisters cowards that they were started screaming, before long the whole household was alerted. Her mother had come running, yanking Leia up by the arm she had smacked her hard on the cheek. Leia had stopped flailing and had stared at her red faced, chest heaving. Ignoring Leia’s sobbing and broken explanation, she had listened to Breese’s story. Her mouth set in a thin line she had marched Leia past the curious eyes of the household staff to her room. There holding her down she had given her a sound thrashing, ignoring the evidence of broken toys. Then she had called out for Sasha the nursery maid to cut her hair. Sobbing Leia was forced to watch as her long brown hair made sticky with goo was shorn from her head. Finished her mother forced her to the mirror, “this is what happens to naughty children who cant tell the truth” she had screamed. Spit flying from her mouth. Leia shocked and abused could only stare at the strange sight before her. She looked like a boy, she would be laughed at in school. “I hate you”, she screamed at her mother. Her mother had looked just looked at her, and for just a brief second Leia had a glimpse of her mother thoughts, as though someone had a pulled a veil away. She didn’t really believe Breese’s story, she just wanted to hurt and punish Leia, satisfaction, hate, fear and anger poured out of her mother all directed at her Leia glared, as her anger mounted uncontrollable. “ I HATE YOU”, she had screamed. The mirror smashed and Leia although she could not remember throwing the brush, she must have as the evidence was before her. Shocked silence descended, and Leia taking advantage whirled and ran out to hide.

Now many hours later, Leia still hid waiting desperately for her father to appear. When he finally did, he was not alone, her mother was with him. Leia debated the wisdom of letting them know her presence. She kept silent, she wanted to speak to her father alone. Her parents were exchanging angry words, her mother was not backing down.

“The child must go, you would endanger all our children for that evil spawn?”  
“You are exaggerating”  
“She could have killed Breese today, and what of me, would she kill me? The whole household heard her hatred of me”  
“And you have done little to earn her love, have you my dear? The children follow your example, she is just child, all she wants is your love?”  
“How can I love that thing?”  
“When I brought her home, and placed in your arms you swore to love and protect her”  
“You lied to me, I thought her an orphan, a harmless orphan from the war, but you brought home a spawn of evil, she looks so much like her mother, is that why you cannot see how evil she is. Are you as infatuated with the child as you were with the mother.   
Bail sucked in his breath and clenched his fists “do not dishonour her name”.  
“If the empire know what grew in our midst, they would kill us all.”   
“It is done, there is no undoing the past, we cannot abandon her now, to do so would create too much interest”  
“Then send her away I cannot stand to look at the face of that bitch”.

Leia shaking her head in mounting horror and disbelief had started to crawl away, banging against the chair. She was only vaguely aware as her parents NO these strangers stopped shouting. Bail’s face appeared around the side of the desk. His eyes wide with horror. “Leia….” he stopped no words could really heal this. Whirling around he grabbed his wife harshly by the arm and dragged to the door. “leave now women you have done enough damage”. Slowly he made his way back to Leia, his mind awash with regret and heartache for this little girl. Leia sat her face white, lips pale in shock, as the world she knew was obliterated. The next day Leia left for boarding school. 

 

Princess Leia shook he head, no good dwelling in the past, and she had long since outgrown her child’s hurts. Strapping herself in, she started docking sequence to land.

 

 

EXECUTOR

Darth Vader stared out into space, mediating on the force. Looking for a way to find his son. The bond had been formed since the fight at cloud city. Like a silver thread it stretched to his son. But no matter how hard he tried to follow it, it remained elusive. Occasionally he would reach for him calling out to his son, and he would receive a thrumming emotion in return and while not exactly a vocal answer to his sons thought, he welcomed the contact. He regretted his harshness in duelling with his son, but such was the way of Sith no matter how he might try and temper his actions, in the heat of battle and in his eagerness for his son to join him, he had been too impatient. But still all was not lost, his son had longed as much for a father, as he had longed for a child, a child of Padme’s.

Lately although his quest for his son had become an obsession, he felt he was missing a vital piece, the force was trying to tell him something but it always remained intangible and vague.

Making his way to the computer console, he opened the latest intelligence reports, previously he had analysed reports on rebels movements. Now however he concentrated huge amounts of resources to finding out all he could about his son, which was surprisingly little, and his friends which seemed easier to get hold of. Considering he was such a hero of the rebellion, almost like himself the - hero with no fear - when he was that age, you would have thought there would have been more to report, but…he caught himself just in time recently he had noticed that his thoughts often dwelled in the past. He could feel his surety in the dark side get tainted by the light. 

Ignoring the voices of the past he pulled up the reports discounting the ridiculous ones. Recently there had been a rumour that The Princess Leis had left the rebellion in a fit of pique over pay and had become a dancer on Tattooine. He often though the spies they employed made up outrageous stories when they had nothing else to report. Using the force he let himself slide into a half meditation level as he scanned through them. Mostly they were garbage, useless idle chatter and gossip of no use to him. But one sang to him with the force saying LOOK LOOK LOOK, he paused and read it more thoroughly it had been rated a 3% accuracy rate so would not even usually be picked up by the intelligence analysis team. But one name stood out. NABOO - her planet, her home world. He read the report that a bitter rebel office had complained about the princess going for a holiday jaunt to Naboo while there the rest of the rebellion was on high alert. Despite his machines keeping him alive his breath caught and his heart seem to stutter. Why was the princess going, had Luke discovered his mothers identity and sent Leia to look for him, or perhaps she was meeting him there. They seemed close perhaps the infatuation with Captain Solo had worn off and she was now with Luke, perhaps his son was more like him than he believed. The thought warmed him and gave him brief amusement though it seemed wrong somehow. However a more deadly thought occurred to him, perhaps the princess was suspicious of Luke parentage and was investigating. If that was the case the Princess had just signed her death warrant, strange he mused as to how that thought pained him.

Pressing the Holocomm he signalled for Admiral Piett

“Yes Lord Vader”  
“ Admiral . Move the Executor away from the fleet, and prepare to jump”.  
“Yes Lord Vader at once and the co-ordinates?”  
“Naboo”  
Admiral Piett didn’t even blink “ Yes Lord Vader”, he bowed and his image faded.  
Darth Vader gazed at the screen, before absently typing a recommendation for the intelligence office to be removed and sent to Patrol detail on the outer rim.

 

 

Tell me what you think???  
Pleaseeee review 

2\. The Hunt  
NABOO

Princess Leia adjusted her hood tiredly against the cold wind that was blowing through Naboo. It was beautiful here she though an idyllic paradise almost untouched by the civil war that raged through out the galaxy. Two days had already passed, and still no positive leads, how foolish of her to believe it would be this easy. Even with R2 D2 splicing skills and C3PO linguistics, she was still no further forward. The archives under heavy encrypted security had proved no barrier to R2D2 but still records from that era were surprisingly sparse. Whole areas of information either omitted, deleted or corrupted to such a level that she despaired of ever finding anything of import. She closed her eyes, a lone tear trailing down her cheek. Behind her the droids were still bickering, high pitched beeps and screech’s interspersed C3PO superior nagging. She tuned them out turning her face to the night sky, as her dream her last chance to find a family slowly disappeared with the fading night. It was time to end this farce, this childless dream, time to return to reality. 

C3... C3PO… is that you?”, an older distinguished man was gazing at C3PO and her with varying looks of surprise. Princess Leia froze, her hand slowly edging to her blaster. Her eyes scanning the immediate vicinity, her mind already scoping out her escape route. Stupid Stupid she berated herself, letting her guard down. There was little options she was inside the main citadel, any fire power would bring down the city guards. 

“Hello Sir, I am afraid you have the wrong droid, I am DX 99, Protocol droid, may I be of service sir?”   
The man paused considering both the two drids and the hooded lady,, “Sorry my mistake”, he gave one long measured look at Leia before, slowly walking away. His steps echoing in the courtyard.  
Leia slowly breathed out, her body still tense as she watched the man disappearing, thankfully C3PO cover story had held, still it was a close call. And how strange that on this back water planet they should have the misfortune to bum into a person that was acquainted with her droids. It was a close call.

“Princess Leia… your Highness??” C3PO shrill voice whispered , “R2 suggests that perhaps rather than searching birth and family history records , we should look at death and funeral records, funeral arrangements are unlikely to have been tampered with to such a large degree.” 

Leia turned to them both a smile slowly blossoming on her face, “Of course…. OF COURSE, R2 you are a genius!”  
R2 gave a modest beep, and shuffled on wheels. Princess Leia grinned her mind awash with excitement again. According to her Bail her mother died just shortly after her birth, to protect Leia’s identity, Bail had registered her birth several months previously and had refused to tell her the exact day, Another layer of lies, even her real birth celebration was denied her. If she narrowed the search vectors for women of child bearing age, connected to the diplomatic core and with notice of unnatural death. It would perhaps be just enough to narrow the search from millions to perhaps hundreds. 

With a little skip to her step she whirled around back to the main citadel, she had work to do and little time to do it in. Thank the force she had the foresight to persuade Luke to leave the plucky little droid with her.

EXECUTOR

Darth Vader was ominously silent as the ship came out of hyperspace. The crew bustled around with absolute imperial efficiency and only the slightest shade of trepidation. Piet swallowed, it had been over a year since he started to serve the Vader as the admiral of the fleet. And it had taken that time for the bone numbing terror to slowly recede and grow into respect and admiration for the man he served. It was true that the lifespan of men serving under Lord Vader could and would be shorter than elsewhere in the empire, but only if grossly inept or disloyal. Otherwise the same loyalty and respect that the men under Vader’s command gave him was like wise returned. Unlike other commander’s in battle Vader could often been found on the battlefield, narrowing down the odds against them. Many a storm trooper could attest to theirs lives due to Lord Vader. 

His wife had paled when he had returned from his last leave of duty on hearing of his advancement and who his commander was. But as stoic and as brave as his little Briac could be, she had just smiled and had squeezed him tight. Later at an official function she had taken matters into her own hands and had approached the Sith Lord himself. He watched with absolute horror as she had curtseyed gracefully and spoken at length to his Lord, and it had taken some time until he could reach his wife’s side. Bowing to Vader he had formally introduced his wife to his commander. Vader had looked at him appraisingly his black visage given nothing away. His mechanised breathing the only sound that Piet could hear. “Rest easy Admiral”, before turning to Briac and bowed to her as though she was of royalty. “Lady Briac”. With that he had turned and shortly after had left the function. Speculative glances were cast their way and Piet knew he had suddenly risen from an admiral under Lord Vader, to an admiral favoured by Lord Vader. The difference was conspicuous, and in the months that followed his command had prospered. But still he did not know what his wife and Vader conversed on. His wife had been obstinately vague and had just smiled before leading him to bed.

Shaking his head at his lapse into memories, he approached the Lord with trepidation. He was not entirely sure why they had come here, but was sure it had something to do the rebel Luke Skywalker. His lord seemed to be obsessed with finding him. Even the emperor was taken a personal interest in this farm boy turned rebel, as though he was a bigger threat than the entire rebel force.

“My Lord, we have reached Naboo, blockade and anti grav fields are being currently set up”

Vader turned to him, “and the Naboonian Government?”

“ Yes my lord, the Government has been hailed and the current Queen Madelea has assured us of every co-operation”.

“Which is meaningless. She will play the diplomatic game and she will play it well”. Vader turned back to the planet, his mechanised breathing steady as always.

“She is beautiful, is she not?”

“My Lord?” queried Piet confused unsure whether he was talking about the planet or the Queen.

Vader held up his hand, “8 divisions ready to depart for the surface, I will lead them myself, have every Tie fighter mobilised and patrolling the planet surface. Signal the warships Helio and Destroyer to circle the dark side of the planet, we hunt for the Rebel leaders Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker and Admiral I want prisoners not bodies - the intelligence access file is XA3D5. Have the intelligence officers encrypters check against small craft entering Naboo recently”.

“Yes My Lord”. Piet bowed and hurried away barking instructions to subordinates and already planning a containment field and every likely scenario that could occur. He would not fail.

Vader looked down at the planet broodingly the force called to him, he could feel it. His son was here.

NABOO 

Princess Leia clutched the info pod of downloaded data. Her eyes bright with excitement. She was back in her ship analysing the information R2 had downloaded. She had the list down to ten women. But she needed more time, just another day.

Typing an encrypted message to Han, she smirked as she realised how this was going to send him Sith mad. Maybe this time he would give her the spanking he threatened her with. Her grin broadened at the thought.

MESSAGE TO RASCAL & WALKING CARPET

DEPARTURE DELAYED - NEED 1 DAY REPRIEVE CAN YOU COVER WITH THE BOSS.  
FAMILY CELEBRATION COULD BE SOON

LOVE BOUNTY HUNTER ANGEL XXX

Hopefully that would keep him placated. Swivelling around she turned to the R2D2 waiting patiently by her side. He beeped enquiringly and Leia laughed delightedly. “Yes we are going hunting now.”

Turning on the security lights and locks, she was surprised to find the docking bay in gloom and only small spotlights flickering on and off and droid loaders the only signs of life. She peered into the darkness, feeling uneasy but with no reason why. Dismissing the feeling as nerves, she strode forward her blaster a heavy weight in her bag. Taping her Port ID number in, she made her way out the docking bay, the feeling intensified, she was being watched. She froze. R2 whistled.

It was over so fast, that Leia never even managed to scream. The lights flickered off as dark shapes fell from the above her. A blow to the arm, and a sweep of her legs and as quickly as that she was disabled. A heavy weight settled on her chest, as another’s hand smothered her mouth. With ruthless efficiency her feet and arms were bound. She bit down as hard as she could and the man or creature holding her grunted but his hold did not lesson. Fighting back the panic that assailed her she struggled knowing it was hopeless but not willing to give in. From the squawks and then silence from the droids they had already been immobilised. The swiftness and efficiency of the attack could only mean Imperials or bounty hunters. Planetary Guards would not care if she screamed for help. Hands professional but ruthless, swept her body, weapons removed. A beeping noise told her they were doing a full body scan, and hands that were holding her mouth suddenly pried it open as something was inserted and then withdraw after a short interval. The men seemed to relax then, and Leia realised they had been looking for suicide contraception’s as well as weapons. She was lifted to her feet, the hands replaced by a gag and a hood. A sharp pain on her arm and she swayed realising they had drugged her. She was picked up and slung over a mans shoulder. Other hands then grabbing her pulling her into a vehicle. Hushed words and she was positioned on a hard floor, jostling as the vehicle moved. Her world started to fade, panic giving way to absolute terror. Bounty Hunters or imperial spies the result was the same. The Empire had her. Her last thought as her consciousness faded was to cry out like a child, ‘MOTHER’. 

3\. Captured  
There had been no warning, no slow build up of pressure. A shaft of pure terror and fear had filled him - a cry of a child, then just as suddenly it had stopped. So strong was this sensation that Vader had momentarily stumbled. His heart had stuttered and his breathing stilled until the nano machines kicked into action equalising his vital functions. But even that could not still the aftershock of his own emotions. Luke was in trouble. But the feeling had ended too abruptly, too quickly to have been voluntarily.

He let his feelings spread out, his mind almost deadlocked in fear and pain. Not Luke, please not his Luke, the only thing left he had of Padme’s. As usual despite his searching he could feel nothing but a slow steady warm force thrum almost a murmur was still there. Luke was alive, almost certainly unconscious perhaps seriously injured but alive and he was on Naboo. The feeling was too strong for anything else. But why such terror from his son, as a Jedi even only partly and slovenly trained he had better control of his emotions. Perhaps the terror was for his Princess. Yes yes that must be it he still could remember the acid fear taste in his mouth as he and Padme was lead to their deaths. Its seems his son was more similar to him than he thought. But still something about that Force cry resonated wrong it was almost like cry for help almost like it was directed for him. He needed to find Luke and quickly and if he could rescue the princess for his son then all the better.

“Captain ready your men for intensive covert intelligence operation. DS hackers and scanners to crack all mainframes and security cams within one standard day. And captain I want answers and I do not care how you achieve them”.

Capes swirling, Vader strode up the ramp. Naboo waited. 

………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

She had woken instantly and without movement, her breathing steady and slow. Not even a flicker of lashes had betrayed her consciousness. Her Sesai Teacher would have been proud. It was all part of the standard rebel officer training. – techniques in anti-interrogation, evasion and manipulation. Two sides to the coin that many found distasteful . Leia found these lessons all too easy, a childhood of being constantly on her guard and the strength of character needed to combat some of the less petty crimes against her, helped her easily cope with even the most vigorous Rebel training that had left many of her companions sobbing wrecks. It certainly served her well on the first Death Star, where pain and suffering seemed without end. There she had retreated deep into herself, hibernating her soul, her essence so well that even Vader, renowned interrogator was unable to penetrate more than surface thoughts. If she could survive Vader she could withstand anything. It was this thought more than anything that gave her the strength to reach deep within her for the calmness and serenity she would need. 

Slowly she let her senses drift, smell, touch and sound. She was lying on her side – feet and hands securely but strangely softly bound with a stretchy type cloth. Her head nestled on a soft downy cushion smelling of rus and julips. A warm coverlet had been carefully tucked around her. She could faintly hear some rustling and faint even breathing, somebody else was observing her This was not standard procedure for Imperials and certainly she had never come across a merc who freshened a room with the fresh scent of creola meadows. 

Surprisingly her heavy outer robes and shoes had been removed but the inner more personal dorma robes she still wore. The thick makeup from her face and brows had been cleansed, her face tingled as though it had been recently bathed and freshly brushed hair floated over her face as a soft breeze indicated a door opening. 

Whispering, and soft muted words drifted to her ears but still too indistinct to make out. Leia pondered over her next cause of action. Had she been perhaps rescued while she was unconscious. Or was this some sort of ploy by imperial interrogators. Either way she gained nothing by continuing this act. She moved and groaned as though awaking. The voices stopped and footsteps neared her. A warm gentle hand felt her forehead and then almost without thought smoothed a lock of her hair behind her ear. 

Leia opened her eyes, blinking delicately against the soft amber light. She let her eyes go soft and dewy as she smiled up at her captors still in shadows.

“He….Hello”, she croaked feebly, playing for all she was worth just a helpless lady. 

“Here my child”, the warm hands came back, easing her semi upright and glass of cool sweet liquid flowed down her parched throat. 

“Thank you”, she managed graciously “where, where am I … I cant remember how I got here? I think I was attacked, is this a hospital?” 

She twisted, and then gasped as though in horror “Why am I tied up, who are you people…. Please please you are scaring me”, her voice quivering in sobs as she addressed the kinder of her captives.

The women sucked in her breath, her voice wavering “oohhh ohh child, I’m sorry please please do not be afraid. we mean you no harm please please believe me - look I will untie you, My security officer sometimes has more duty than sense”. 

The other voice hissed a sharp command. “Madam I must protest, this course of action is unwise, it is still not certain….”.

“Hush, the child is afraid and that will not do. Continue your investigations by all means but let me deal with mine as I see fit”. The voice brooked no disagreement.

“Madam!”

Leia almost grinned, the man so harangued, almost sounded like Han. She blinked in the dim light slowly making out the two figures. One was an elderly lady, her face lined with wrinkles and age, laughter lines crinkled at her eyes. The older man – stood rigid at attention, deferentially by her side. Grey hair streaked his hair and hard sharp eyes observed her every movement. This man was not to be taken lightly.

“Who are you people”, she whispered.

“Oh my child, my poor child”, the lady looked anxious, tears flowing down her cheeks, as she knelt, her hands gently embracing Leia’s. 

“Leia I am your grandmother.”

And just like that Leia’s world exploded yet again. Her mind automatically realising the significance that they knew her identity, while she struggled with the enormity of that simple statement. She gazed in shock at the old women, her shoulders bent as she sobbed. Eyes watched her through a film of tears, soft brown eyes. Eyes that was in her reflection every day she looked in a mirror. But something else ….some other recognition told her the truth. This women was kin. 

Leia shook her head, trembling she laid her hands on the womens cheek “Grandmother?”

The two women hugged each other, crying and laughing. An intimate moment and after a second the officer slowly and subtly withdrew from the room. Further investigation was not needed. Padme’s daughter had come home.

CH 4 Family Found Family Lost

Darth Vader surveyed the ruthless efficiency of his stormtroopers as they cleared the building floor by floor. Courteous instruction with a steel fist as administration staff were hustled from the space dock station and those that protested were given short thrift.   
In their place imperial splicer’s took positions fingers flying over control pads as data and information were spliced and analysed in nanoseconds.

But still Vader was dissatisfied with the progress. Impatience filled him, the dark side murmuring to him to vent his frustration, his anger, his wrath. His control was held on by barely a thread. He must find his son, he must save him. 

“My Lord, we have found their ship, ibay 553 North side. It was due to disembark , but missed its allotted schedule, as no new flight plan had been submitted. It was already flagged, when the splicer’s noticed the anomalies with its registration documents.” 

Vader turned to survey his new intelligence attaché officer, a lieutenant fresh from the academy and eager to make his grade despite his caution and fear of his new commander. Slowly Vader savored the feeling of slow building terror and trepidation that emanated in waves from young officer, letting it fuel the darkness that was always with him now. A far crueler and demanding master than Palpatine could ever hope to be.

“Very good, have Seekers scope the ship discreetly, and all monitor stations feeds to be analysed - I want results”. Seethed Vader impatiently. 

“Yes sir”, the lieutenant visibly paled, before saluting smartly and rushing off to do his masters bidding. 

Vader swung around as the Naboo delegation bravely approached him. The queen conspicuous only by her absence.

“My Lord Vader, On behalf of the Queen who has unfortunately contracted a rare case of Sino virus and is under quarantine in her Summer Palace. We extend our warmest welcome to the emperors emissionary and offer you the fullest hospitality of our peaceful and neutral city”. 

Vader said nothing, just surveyed them calmly, giving no indications of his truel feelings. This tact, this intimidation he had learned from Palapatine. Let the fear build, tensions rise, let your enemies make the first move, the first step in the game. Then move in for the kill.

The small bearded man – Ambassador Rawkins, adjusted his cravat nervously, at Vaders countenance. “However we must protest at the manner of this ahhhh visit and perhaps we can come to some peaceful compromise that would not alarm our city residents”.

Vader inwardly smiled, he had already won this game of strategy. The Queen would probably not have made the same mistake as her ambassador if she was of the same ilk as Padme, but they had learned it seemed not to send their Queen into uncertain territory. No doubt she was safely hidden in case she was used as a pawn in the emperor’s games. 

However he needed to be careful, if the Naboo government lodged an official complaint, whilst the emperor could care less about this planet, he would be suspicious at his apprentices heavy handiness in a planet which he had links with. Tact and a subtle hand was needed here, not he thought wryly his strongest points.

“You may convey my apologies to her Highness for this short lived inconvenience. Once I have apprehended the rebel agents, I will be departing to attend to other matters. Your full co-operation is most invaluable and appreciated Ambassador….. after all it would be unfortunate if the emperor found reason to revoke the neutrality of this planet”.

The Naboo delegates looked at each other nervously, before bowing their heads, “We will convey your apologies to her highness and we will ensure the cities security detail provides all necessary assistance”.

Vader nodded “then we have an understanding ambassador”, he remarked pleasantly before dismissing them by rudely walking away.

 

………………………………………………………………………………….

 

“And these are Padme when she went on a Peace mission to Zulya System. All pink faced with pigtails she was just nine years old and already growing up so fast. A proper little madam at that age. When she came across a shuttle filled with refugees she insisted we shared all the food from the gantry. To the extent that the formal grand Banquet for the Zulya official Government consisted of standard soldier rations”.

Leia chuckled as she examined the picture intently. Gazing at the face of her long dead Mother, she was so beautiful. She had dreamed of this for so long. But nothing could have prepared her for the feeling of peace and happiness that she felt. This was home, this could have been her home, the low burn of injustices rose again within her. The emotional trauma that was her childhood had never left her. She had a family, a family that had waited and waited for her to return. That had so desperately wanted her. So why had Bail Organa kept her. The unwanted bastard child reared in the royal courts of Alderaan. She shook her head that was in the past, and there was one lesson that her childhood had taught her - grab each moment of happiness while you can. A lesson that she had forgotten when she had joined the Rebellion and watched her home planet be blown to smithereens. But Han, her wonderful Han had brought her back to life again. 

Leia looked up at the ceiling blinking away tears - this was her Mothers room as a child. Her grandmother had kept it for her waiting for Padme’s child to come home. Waited for her, and it was almost too late, but she was here, and she would have this one magical day before she left. 

She smiled at her Grandmother “tell me more, tell me everything”, she pleaded a teary smile disguising her desperate need to find out everything about her family, her real family. And so on bed strewn with pictures, knick knacks and mementoes they chatted and shared memories of a time long past. 

They had spent a day together, every moment so precious to Leia. They had almost by unspoken tacit agreement not discussed the rebellion and her part in it. She had carefully made little mention of her childhood, instead regaling her with tales from her life as a senator and ambassador. And her grandmother had regaled her with stories of her mother, that Leia greedily drunk up, savouring every moment, every word. Not realising how much she was revealing to this worldly women.

“Leia..?”.

Leia looked up to see her Grandmother watching her with troubled eyes. 

“Leia…. I know that you lived with Bail Organa – did… did they… were they… were they a good family?” 

Leia, shook her head, not quite meeting her grandmothers eyes, “Oh I lived the life of a princess my every whim catered to, and a wardrobe full of toys and clothes”. She said brightly, her fingers pulling and twisting on the tassels of the cushion.

Her grandmother leaned over holding Leia’s fingers, holding them tightly, as she gazed into Leia’s eyes. “Your mother was a leader and such a cunning diplomat, full of courage and fire, with instinctive knowledge and need for justice and peace. But even she could never learn to lie a damn to the people she loved”.

Leia looked down, her mouth trembling, tears welling in her eyes. A horrible howl half muted and strangled came from deep within her. 

“Oh my Leia, my poor Leia”, her Grandmother hugged into her arms, surrounding her with such love and understanding, as Leia cried the tears of the lost. 

 

 

5\. Obsession  
“As you can see Lord Vader, the lights were deliberately cut as soon as the rebel reached this point. At this stage abduction was almost inevitable, if the rebel had tried to retreat, she would have been cut off at the intersection. We are somewhat fortunate that the rebel proceeded as we are able to get a thermal reading projection from the AV sensors and can see their modus operandi. However we were unable to get identification of either vehicles or the perpetrators at this point My Lord”. 

Vader watched impassively as the images played were rewound and then played again, each nano second spliced and analysed. It was amazing how much the Princess carried off the Nubian dress. Very much a regal noble women of a Nubian household, all the women looked so similar when dressed Nubian style she would have made a good decoy he thought idly. On the playback screen the Princess hesitated as she disembarked obviously spooked. But with the determination of the young and foolish, she steeled herself as she walked forward out of range of the camera the two droids trolling behind her. At least now he had confirmation that Luke was with her. In truth when he had realised on Bespin that his faithful R2D2 unit was now serving Luke, he had felt a stirring of pride that had only increased as the knowledge that Luke was also using his old light sabre. It seemed fitting somehow that a father should provide some legacy for his son. And it seemed his son was even more like him than he realised as just like him he had given C3PO to the women he loved. Some things never change he thought with bitter amusement.

Now he just had to figure out who had kidnapped the Princess, rescue her and save his son from his own folly. He mentally shook his head at the mere idea of being the Princesses saviour but she was the key. With her in his possession, therein lied the way to his son’s soul. He had been too careless in his previous encounters, still seething in anger from the deception that had been played. This time he would be patient, once he had caught the boy, he would leave him with the Nohgri. They would keep both the knowledge and his son safe from the emperor and they would make excellent jailers for an untried Jedi. This time he would be patient, however long it took, his son would eventually turn to him. But first he had to find her – she was the key.

“Trace her movements in the past two cycles, synchronise all exit activities with the cities security monitoring stations, I want identification and probability analysis of every person or droid that she was in the vicinity with. Therein will lie the identity of the kidnapper. I want the Splicers double shifting all communication transponders from the city in the last 24 hours”. 

The Lieutenant visibly paled under the realisation of the mammoth task that had been set, but to his credit, he didn’t shirk merely saluted. Perhaps this young officer would work out after all.

“Continue your work Lieutenant, I want her and any other rebels found alive and quickly”.

Vader strode out the control centre satisfied that his will would be done. He paused at the entrance, there was something that was tugging on his awareness, something that just wasn’t ringing true. The force was with him, but it was nebulous and indistinct almost… almost like a whisper of thought that he couldn’t quite hear. He paused at the entrance his personal honour guard from the elite five-oh-one legion smartly came to attention. Vader motioned to them and they obediently fell into step behind him. There was a small matter he must attend before he left this accursed planet that was awakening feelings best left buried.

………………………………………………………………………………………

“Your Grandfather Jobal, Aunt Sola and her family will be with us this evening, I have not yet told them of your arrival my child. In these troubled times it is best to be cautious. Instead I have made up a sorry tale of great illness and they are hastening their return”. Ruwee paused before adding wryly, “enjoy the quiet while you can my granddaughter, you have a great many cousins all of whom will be eager to meet Padme’s long lost daughter”.

“Thank you, this is more so much more than I ever could have hoped for, I just wish I could stay for longer”, smiled Leia as they continued walking down the narrow cobbled path, fringed with Sulap trees, their great fringed branches, swaying softly in the wind. It truly was a beautiful place.

Ruwee her Grandmother smiled sadly, “I would try and persuade you to stay, but you are far too much like your mother to even try. Your Grandfather will have a few words for you I am sure once he has hugged and cried over you. Padme’s death hit him particularly hard. He had been unhappy that she was pregnant. He wanted only the best for his child – not money or possessions, but a loving husband and life away from all the intrigue and corruption of the senate. But it was not to be and he greatly regrets and blames himself that he did not dissuade Padme decision to stay in Coruscant”. 

“From what I hear, I don’t think my mother would have listened”.

“Yes, but it is hard for a parent to loose a child, its not the natural order”.

“Grandmother?”

“Yes my dear”.

“How did my parents die?” Leia asked the question that had plagued her entire life.

Ruwee briefly closed her eyes, a tear trickling out, “Come sit before we visit Padme and I will tell you what precious little I know”. She tugged Leia down onto a honey stoned bench. Looking deeply into her eyes before she began, steeling herself for the one memory that caused such pain and anguish.

“Captain Rika your mothers personal guard and a loyal friend to the family, in fact he is that charming man you met that …..errmmm shall we say gently kidnapped you”.

Leia smiled as she remembered the older man. She would need to make amends before she departed and she would like to spend some time with the man who must have been very close to her mother. 

“He, he …. he brought your mothers body home from Coruscant. The official version was that the Jedi had killed her. But the Jedi had always been close friends and allies with Padme and I cannot believe this of them. The fact that on the night she died, Palpatine”, Ruwee spat the word with hatred, “had ordered the Jedi destroyed makes me believe that perhaps she tried to stop the atrocity and was killed for it”. 

“It was a dangerous time and your mother was involved in key events, when Rika brought Padme’s body home, it was clear she had just given birth. But a missive had been sent with Rika to your father and the Queen Apailana, and thus the great conspiracy was borne”, Ruwee angrily brushed tears from her cheeks as she remembered the dark days following her daughters death. 

“Padme was buried at state funeral with all the pomp and ceremony you would expect. But her body was disguised to show she was still with child when she died, we hoped this would protect you and the father. But I expected you to be brought to us within weeks. Instead the days turned into months and then years. Despite Rika's discreet investigation we could find no trace of you. And it was dangerous to make our enquiries too public. We were scared not for ourselves but for Sola and her children and we were terrified that we would put you into danger too. But it has tormented us for years that fateful decision and now I know we made a dreadful mistake and you suffered greatly”. 

“Leia you must believe, and forgive us, if we had any inkling of your misery we would have killed even Vader himself to get you back”.

Leia winced inwardly at the thought of her frail grandmother standing up to Vader. She reached down and clasped her Grandmothers hands, “I know, and it makes all the difference to me, thank you…. Truly you made the right decision… for all of us. My childhood was perhaps not the bed of roses you would have like, but I was fed and educated. And it made me strong and I think perhaps it was my path, my destiny to follow”.

Leia sighed sadly, finally she had some closure, Mon Motha knew her mother, she would make some gentle enquiries with her and some of the other rebel leaders. She had far more resources than Panaka she would find out everything she could about her mother and perhaps she could ease her Grandmother’s turmoil. But still the final question remained.

“ and my father?” she queried softly.

“Ah Leia, that I do not know, Padme was very reticent about who the father was. I believe she was trying to protect him. I have always thought he was some sort of spy or leader of the senate working against Palpatine. Rika was under the impression that your father had been gravely injured which was the reason for the elaborate ruse. But then he also was convinced that Padme had given birth to a son”. 

“A son?” Leia questioned with a frown.

“Yes, all this time we have thought you were a boy, in fact you have a whole room of Birthing day gifts all very much with a boy in mind”, said Ruwee exasperatedly. “really I should have know of better, its easy to confuse the sexes of a new born baby, and for Rika a confirmed bachelor… well… there you see it. But in you my dear, I see Padme and I am so very glad and so very proud that you are my grand daughter”.

Leia closed her eyes as she absorbed all this information, it felt like emotion overload. 

“So you can see my child, that you know as much as we do about your father. All I do know is that your mother loved him greatly… which brings me to this”.

Ruwee slowly opened a red Velvet box, inside lay a jade engraved snippot. 

“This much I do know, your father gave this to your mother, and she wore it every day, this is how I know the depth of her love, and she could never love another whose passion did not match hers”.

Leia looked in wonder at this link, this proof of her parents love. Stroking her finger over its smooth worn surfaces, surfaces worn smooth by years of someone stroking and wearing it - her mothers love was in this, she could feel it. 

Ruwee solemnly took it out and fastened it with trembling fingers around Leia’s neck. 

“They would have wanted you to have this, it belongs to you now. I was going to bury it with Padme, but it felt wrong so I took it back to keep it safe for Padme’s child, for you my dear.”.

Ruwee looked at her through teary eyes, “Look at us both crying and weeping so, come let us go see your mother”. Linking arms the two women entered the stone chapel that held Padme’s crypt. 

 

…………………………………………………………………………………..

It was several hours later that Leia and Ruwee finally remerged into brilliant sunshine, butterflies and chattering daws, flittering in between the trees and storm troopers standing on the dappled cobbled lane in front of them, with the dark ominous figure of Darth Vader directly in their path. 

If Vader was surprised he gave no indication of it, instead he radiated a grim satisfaction as the well trained stormtroopers surrounded them, laser rifle guns pointed steadily at them both. Leia looked around wildly cursing herself for putting her blood kin in danger. Worse still they had left the droids and more importantly her blaster behind at her grandmother’s residence. It had seemed wrong at the time to bring a death instrument with her when she visited her mother’s grave. She should have known better.

“Princess Leia”, Lord Vader drew out her name savouring every syllable, almost mocking her as he bowed slightly, “It is a….. pleasure to see you again. After our grave concerns over your kidnapping”. 

“Lord Vader”, there was no point in subterfuge, thought Leia bitterly; she had not even bothered with her disguise this morning. Leia squeezed her grandmothers arm gently before slowly stepping away from her. Very aware of the highly proficient stormtroopers encircling them. Her they needed alive but not so her grandmother and the force help her new found family if Vader discovered the truth. He would use them as leverage to make Leia talk.

“This need not be unpleasant your highness”, suggested Vader unexpectedly. “I presume this is some unaware local peasant that you have duped they are no interest to me, if you come peacefully into custody”.

Leia was stunned, though she gave no outward sign of it. He was offering her an out and she would be a fool to reject.

“Your word My Lord?”

“My word”, agreed Vader calmly.

“Very well”, Leia slowly held her wrists out to the nearest storm troopers. Who in a quick movement holstered their rifles over their shoulder, before snapping a restraint around Leia’s wrists. Holding her firmly by the arm they stood beside her waiting for Vader’s orders.

“NOOooooo”, an anguished moan from Ruwee brought all eyes and guns to her. 

“Be quiet, be thank full I didn’t shoot you in the back as was my first thought”, snarled Leia contemptuously pushing Ruwee to the ground and away from her.

“Peace old women, she will not be harmed, she is now a ward of the empire…….go about your business”, Vader suggested, gesturing with his hand as Ruwee continued to weep. To Leia’s shock Ruwee rubbed her head and after muttering about business, went back inside the crypt. She should not be so surprised she thought she had seen Luke do something similar when they rescued Han. But somehow she had thought her grandmother to be stronger than that.

“Before we depart your highness, where is Luke Skywalker?” questioned Vader. I will tear this planet apart if I have to”, added Vader seeing Leia’s hesitation.

Leia looked at him in astonishment she couldn’t quite hide. “He’s not here! -I have no idea where is and I am so happy about that I will not be able to betray him”, spat Leia

“His droid is here is it not? and where one can be found the other is usually close behind”.

“Believe what you will”, replied Leia tiredly, “But you will get nothing more from me”. 

“One way or the other Princess you will give me everything.”

Vader and Leia surveyed each in silence in silent animosity. Then without a sound he turned, the trembling princess marching behind him escorted by the finest stormtroopers in the galaxy.

...........................................................................

6\. The word of a dark lord  
Leaves softly crunched under her silk slippers contrasting starkly with the stormtroopers boots as they hustled her along. There was a Stormtrooper holding each of her arms firmly, keeping her upright when she would have stumbled over the uneven ground and her long billowy Nubian skirt. 

Already her mind had recovered from the sudden shock of her capture, instead she was puzzling out the situation and the best way to put it to her advantage with the ultimate goal of escape. Han would now be worrying over the lack of contact, and possibly knowing him was already making plans to come and get her but to all extent and purposes he would be far too late. But more importantly in one standard imperial day, Mon Motha would be informed of the lack of contact would presume she had been compromised and the fleet would be moved and precautionary measures taken. She just had to last one imperial day. She had done it before, she could and would withstand it again. 

Unconsciously she recollected her time on the Deathstar with Vader, she shuddered and would have fallen if the stormtroopers had not automatically tightened their grip. Vader turned to look at her, his helmet tilted as he assessed her as if he could feel her apprehension and fear. Leia lifted her chin and glared at him. For a split second she could have sworn she felt a flash of amusement from him before cape swirling he resumed marching through the glade. But this time the pace seemed slightly slower. 

Which begged another question why on Sith were they walking so far. She expected transport to be beside the crypt or for Vader to call up a trooper carrier. This wasn’t standard imperial procedure and neither now she thought of it was letting Ruwee go. She had tried to deflect suspicion so she could claim she had just met Ruwee. But Vader not only had no interest in a possible rebel sympathiser but ironically had almost gone out of his way to get Ruwee to leave without a scene. Usually suspects would be arrested as a matter of course until they could be interrogated, or dealt with at the point of a stormtroopers butt. Or the final solution a laser blast at close range. But these stormtroopers were restrained and Vader who she thought had no self control was almost comically respectful and polite. And the questions about Luke? and how had he found her so quickly? and what exactly did Vader mean by ward of the empire? – another name for hostage? The questions whirled, her mind trying to puzzle out the meanings and futilely blocking out the knowledge of what she would soon be facing. 

They stopped and Vader seemed to be in some sort of consultation with the lead Stormtrooper, they seemed to be displeased about something. Leia craned her head trying to peer around the wall of white armour on front of her at whatever they were discussing. Her eyes widened almost comically “We are going in that!” 

Vader glanced at her, before holding out his hand “I would be honoured if you would join me your Highness”.

………………………………………………………………

Darth Vader sat uncomfortably on the plush peach damper cushions, it had been a long time since he had felt this squirm of embarrassment. But really who would have thought that his secret pilgrimage to Padme’s resting place would result in apprehending the Princess. He had hoped to keep the visit to Padme’s grave secret so had arranged Nubian transport a gauzy affair but one that provided privacy. People would talk about the stormtroopers riding pillion but it was nothing compared to the gossip that would be caused if it was known that a Dark Lord of Sith was roaming the countryside. 

But still the ways of the force were strange indeed as Obwan used to say. His irritation at finding the crypt already occupied were only matched by the shock of exactly who was at his wife’s final resting place. He had left them in peace while a perimeter was set up and he tried to figure out the correct etiquette of arresting a rebel leader without leaving harm on his mother in law.

It seemed Luke had somehow involved Leia in the search for his Mother and kin. A surprising and quite unexpected step. But he got no indication from the force that she was aware of the identity of Luke’s father. Which was perhaps at this stage for the best. 

Leia sat opposite him, uncomfortably close, he could guess that this carriage was meant for couples, perhaps lovers intent on illicit affair. Certainly not as means of conveyance of an imperial prisoner. But perhaps he could use this opportunity whilst she was still somewhat recovering from her shock of her capture and perhaps forgetful of her rebel training.

“I would be interested to learn how you managed to escape Leia…. we had grave concerns for your safety ”, He dropped the usual honorific as he leant closer to her.

Leia snorted inelegantly and then shrugged “Yeah I bet… it was just a local spliff gang, hardly a challenge for me”. A lie mused Vader and wondered what she was hiding.

“And it seems a strange place for you to be located”.

Leia shrugged again, closing her eyes. Tired it seemed from the shock of her capture.

“Which begs the question Princess, what is a rebel leader doing on this planet?”

Leia’s eyes opened and she suddenly stiffened perhaps realising what a precarious position she had put this planet in. “No, its nothing to do with the rebellion, I swear”, she briefly clutched at his arm before coming to her senses and releasing it “I had heard that some alderian refugees had been allowed to stay and I wanted to check on their situation”.

“Ahhh ever the Ambassador”, commented Vader dryly, “perhaps you would care to share their location so we can check the veracity of your story”.

Leia paled even further “Not likely considering the empire destroyed their planet”, 

“Interesting”, mused Vader “that you refer to it as their planet, was it not yours also?”

Leia took a deep breath and schooled her face into a familiar mask, her training coming to the forefront. He would gain nothing further from her on this line of questioning it would seem. But still she was hiding something and her feelings were wildly in disarray. 

Interesting, very interesting.

“Perhaps you would save my men the trouble and disclosing the location of the droids?” 

Leia shrugged “They got frazzled and smashed by the splice gang, last I saw they were in a million pieces”. Another lie thought Vader

“And Luke?”.

“What is your obsession with Luke, want to take his other hand”, jeered Leia “ He’s a long long way from here”.

“YOU LIE”, thundered Vader “ I HAVE FELT HIM HE IS HERE”

Leia shrank back both physically and mentally from him. She had never felt so close to death as she did now.

7\. Force  
The silence was uncomfortable now, after Vader’s uncontrolled outburst Leia had shrunk back into the cushions. She had never before experienced anything similar - that icy blast of anger that was almost like a physical force, so great that she had cowered back both mentally and physically. Even during her time on the Deathstar she had never seen him like this. Obsession came to the mind. Vader had finally composed himself, the only sounds in the carriage the mechanised regular breathing of his mask. 

“You cannot protect him Princess I will find him, and with you as bait he will come to me”. Vader unclenched his fists and studiously ignored her presence.

Leia closed her eyes in bitter despair, before turning her head to gaze out the pane, a lone tear trailing down her cheek.

KABOOMMMM

The sound was deafening, the carriage rocked on its hydro air stabilisers then with a whoosh of air as it was compromised it toppled over and over. Leia tried to brace herself and hold on but with Vader it was impossible, as his enormous bulk flattened and bashed her. She found herself been thrown around like a rag doll, before with a ominous groan the carriage settled on its side. 

Leia shook her head, trying to clear the mussiness away, she could feel a sharp pain in her leg and arm. But she ignored this as she crawled out of the heap that was Darth Vader. Reaching up she grabbed the door frame of the carriage and slowly started to lever herself out. This was her chance and she would take it and question the circumstances later. 

She shrieked as her ankle was caught by a leather fist, with a cry both physically and mentally she kicked with her other foot and had the grim satisfaction of watching Vader’s head go crashing back. His fist loosened and taking the opportunity and using his shoulder as a springboard she jumped out the carriage. To meet mayhem. All around her was smoke and laser fire. Storm troopers taking cover behind the carriage as they held off a barrage of fire from gloopy round projectiles. 

She turned to run, limping heavily, her goal a small alleyway only a short sprint away.

30 metres… breathing hard, silk clad feet barely protecting her feet as she pushed herself onwards, laser bolts flying over her head, shouts and orders filling the air, but she was totally focused on the alley, nothing else mattered…. 20 metres. 

Then something crashing into her as with a ommfph she was brought down, a armour plated stormtrooper lying almost prone over her. 

“STAY DOWN”, a hand pushing her head into the dirt.

She squirmed and wriggled using every technique she knew but it was no use with her arms hand cuffed in front of her she had no freedom. The storm trooper held her down firmly as levered himself up, an armoured knee holding her in place as he exchanged gunfire. With cool calm proficiency two storm troopers appeared on either side taking up covering fire, before she was dragged back. 

Darth Vader appeared and after giving her a cool assessing glance, he turned and surveyed the area. “Guard the Princess I will deal with this”. Striding forwards he lit his lightsabre. 

Leia had never seen anything like it, even Luke at Jabba’s Palace did not show that amount of pure power and ruthlessness. Vader strode down the street, almost casually blocking blasts with his lightsabre. Motioning with his hand blocks of masonry flew slamming into buildings and vehicles. Whirlwinds of dust and debris spun up, spinning into alcoves, throwing out men and strange creatures with gangly legs and ears. All too soon it was all over. 

Vader stood over one of the creatures, then with a flick of the wrist, the body flipped over, Vader contemplated it for a few moments, his head tilted towards it, slowly his head turned, and even from the distance Leia knew he was focusing on her, an icy chill ran up her spine. 

The stormtroopers slowly stood up, dragging her with them as they made their way to Vader. Leia automatically noted that now only 5 remained.

“Would you care to explain this your highness?” Vader nudged the body with his foot.

Leia glanced down, wincing inwardly at the look of agony on the creatures face – a native Nubian. 

“It seems many are willing to sacrifice themselves for you, the question is why?” Vader gazed at her, she could almost feel him trying to prise into her mind. 

“Get out of my mind Vader”, Leia hissed, mentally building up her mind defences, “ I have never seen him before, they could just be random hijackers it happens all the time”.

“I think not….his name was Jar Jar Binks, witless and stupid, but loyal to a fault and now his loyalty to you has killed him …..and the question remains … WHY?”

They looked at each other neither willing to turn away. A battle of wills. 

“The force is strong in you, almost too strong, why have I not felt this before”, mused Vader, turning he strode away, cape billowing behind him “Bring her, we need to procure transport”. 

All too soon, Leia was hustled into a shuttle, found lying abandoned by the roadside, probably its occupants fleeing when the fighting started. 

The stormtroopers took position as Vader deftly checked the controls, firing up the rockets and smoothly lifting off. 

..................................................................................................................

 

8\. Crash & Burn  
Crash & Burn

“Sir, we have received a distress signal from Lord Vaders personal bodyguard unit”.

Piett whirled around, his face paling at the news., frantically thought he through all the ramifications and chain of command orders, by deploying battle hardened troops to Naboo’s planetary surface. He would almost certainly be causing a diplomatic incident of galactic proportions, with that many troops there would undoubtedly be civilian casualties But his duty was clear – protect his commander using all and necessary means. 

“Location, status”, he barked out “Lieutenant Donas get 5 Squadrons Deployed for immediate battle evac – what’s that location soldier?”

The usual calm professional atmosphere disappeared as orders were shouted and men rushed into action. 

“Locking down signal - transmitting co-ordinates now sir. Clarity is not clear but they have requested military assistance and report under fire by unknown assailants. That was all I picked up before signal was cut Sir, I am trying to re-establish contact”.

“Sir nearest ground units are 3 clicks away, squadrons alphaX through to echoX are ready for deployment and will be on situ within 5 – on your command Sir?”

“Piett grimaced – too far by the time they arrived it could be possibly too late. “Deploy…. Lieutenant I need intel”.

“Sir, they have nothing, they were not even aware that Vader was in that sector of Naboo. Nobody was sir”.

Piett swore under his breath, it was against Imperial protocol for a senior commander in a potential hostile environment to leave without notification. But who would be fool enough to point this out to Lord Vader.

Which left him in a very unenviable position. He thrummed his fingers on the console watching the battle vid screen as the squadrons were despatched. His mind processing all likely scenarios.

“Captain Rada this may be a diversionary tactic – keep the fleet in tight formation and I want all ready Xwings out on security patrol. Rotate each sector. Cancel all transport leaving Naboo planetary surface until further notification”.

“Ensign, status on communication?”

“Nothing sir, I managed to lock down signal co-ordinates, but now even that has disappeared. These units transmit even if turned off, so unit must have been compromised”.

“Sith”, swore Piett under his breath. 

 

 

10 MINUTES PREVIOUSLY

Leia shivered with the after effects of shock. Her heart still hammering against her ribcage. With an inward sigh she rested her cheek against the bulkhead of the shuttle. Around her the stormtroopers were bustling around checking equipment and dealing with a variety of injuries. Their mood grim, not unexpectedly after loosing more than half their platoon. 

One of the commanders approached her medikit in hand. Without asking, after all she thought - she was just a prisoner, rebel scum, he turned her hand over and examined the gash on her arm. She was surprised to realise that there was blood dripping down her gown. Firmly but carefully he cleared away the debris before applying a bacta patch and strapping it down tightly. Cupping her chin, he shone a light into her eyes and took her stats, before moving off and conferring with Vader. 

The shuttle suddenly lurched, the stormtroopers lunging at hanger straps as they tried to keep their balance. Leia went sprawling onto the floor, “he flies worse than C3PO”, muttered Leia, earning her a dark look from the Sith Lord. 

The vehicle shuddered again and Vader with a muffled oath suddenly turned both thrusters and engine off. “Sabotage”, he seethed. Before shouting out to brace and to prepare for enemy attack. The shuttle almost seemed to hover in mid air before slowly then with increasing speed hurtled towards the ground. Almost at the last possible moment the shuttle came to an abrupt stop almost as if a giant hand had suddenly picked it up, then with one last shriek it landed heavily next to a canal. Instantly the shuttle started filling with smoke. The whine of laser rifles being primed filled the interior. A hard hand descended and she was hauled to her feet, as stormtroopers took position around the shuttle door. They looked expectantly at Vader, and at some unseen signal, the door was released and they laid down a barrage of fire, uncaring of who might be caught in any potential cross fire. Brutal and efficient this was five-oh-one at their most terrifying. 

Coughing, spluttering and eyes smarting from the acrid smoke, Leia was half carried and   
half dragged out. She could hear one of the stormtroopers radioing for urgent military assistance, and vaguely wondered why they had waited so long. They took cover behind a low wall, where she was unceremoniously shoved to the ground. 

Three stormtroopers already lay dead or dying on the ground. Her would be rescuers were certainly persistent. But with Darth Vader standing almost on top of her, he would kill her before letting her escape again and it seemed he had reached that very decision, as he hauled her up. 

“Desist or the Princess will suffer”, his voice boomed out. And almost instantly the battle came to a stuttering end. 

A terrible hush filled the sir, as everybody paused, their eyes riveted on the bleeding forlorn figure of Princess Leia being held up by a Darth Vader his crimson light sabre held aloft. Beside him the two remaining stormtroopers waited on Vader’s command. 

There was a whoosh of spray and with a terrifying screech – creatures sprang from the canal. Their long gangly long legs propelling them far into the air. Heading straight For Vader. Instantly he swung his sabre and limbs went flying. But numbers were on their side. The last two stormtroopers went crashing into the wall, covered by some explosive gunk that exploded on contact. Leia strained against Vaders hold, and she went spinning to the ground, as he suddenly released her to tackle two more of the creatures. 

Vader shouted a roar of pure fury, as he swung his sword almost maniacally slaughtering them, before twisting towards her, lightsabre raised. 

Leia swallowed and closed her eyes “I’m so sorry Han”, she whispered in sad regret knowing death was just a moment away

“GET AWAY FROM MY GRAND DAUGHTER YOU…YOU MONSTER”. 

Leia opened her eyes - their standing between them blaster held at point blank range at Vader was her small diminutive grandmother.

“no, no...”, whispered Leia in fear. Time almost seemed to stand still as Vader paused his lightsabre dropping just fractionally, as his head slowly turned to Leia.

 

9\. Aftermath  
EXECUTOR

Piet hurried down the corridor, almost sprinting, his aides struggling to keep up. His personal guard of Stormtroopers surrounding him clearing the way of personnel.

They rounded the corner, entering the loading bay in front of them a gleaming white shuttle slowly touching down. Piet breathed a sigh of relief as he skidded to a halt, exchanging a wry glance with his aides as they smoothed down and straightened their uniforms. Only vaguely aware of other officers and a contingent of medical support staff arriving in frantic haste.

The shuttle door slowly opened and Lord Vader appeared, a very dusty and slightly battered Vader. Piet held his breath, and gave a quick cursory salute, before hurrying forward. Vader took everything in with one single piercing glance, waving away the medical crew. Before turning his full attention to Piet.

“Walk with me”, he commanded.

“My Lord, it is good to see that you are safe, we had grave concerns … “, Piet began. Vader interrupted “It is of no matter… brief me”

Vader remained ominously quiet as Piet run down the days events and actions taken. Giving no indication of either his approval or displeasure. Piet held steadfast as he gave his report. He had perhaps not followed standard imperial procedures to the letter. But he stood by his actions.

“Remove the flight embargo but all ships to be searched and passenger manifesto’s checked, before take off. Tractor fields on all flight paths, arrange for an interdictor fields to be set up at the outer boundaries. Any ship that tries to leave without approval, to be disabled and all passengers and crew arrested… alive at any cost”.

“Yes My Lord… Sir, Captain Meeklah, head of intelligence is planning reprisals over the attack ”. Piet kept his face and voice deliberately neutral, not allowing any of the distaste he felt against retaliation against unarmed innocent civilians show. He swallowed nervously, as Vader stopped abruptly and was that a growl coming from the dark Lord. 

“They are as clumsy as they are stupid”, seethed Vader, “Any action taking against Naboo will only alienate the imperial cause more, which is exactly what the rebellion was planning on. This is… was an isolated incident and will remain such.” Vader paused before adding ominously “Request Captain Meeklah to report too me immediately”.

Piett nodded his face grave. “Immediately Lord Vader”. 

“I will be in my quarters, I want immediate notification of anything unusual and Admiral…” Vader swung around to face him, “You did well”. 

“Thank you Sir”, Piett saluted smartly and watched as Vader with a curt nod strode away. Turning he made his way back to the ships bridge allowing him self a flush of enjoyment over Vaders words ‘you did well’.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

NABOO

“Leia there is not much time, we must hurry and there is so much still unsaid”, Ruwee bit her lip and wrung her hands as they made there way through the derelict building. They had made their way almost immediately after Leia’s miraculous rescue. 

For as long as Leia would live, which may be not that long if Vader has his way. She would savour the sight on Darth Vader completely stunned and out manoeuvred. When Ruwee has announced her relationship to Leia she had thought that would be the end for both of them instead Vader had seemed stunned almost shocked by the revelation that the Royal Princess of Alderan was really a bastard child of Naboo. His lightsabre had dropped and he had seemed staggered as though recovering from a blow. It was all the hesitation Ruwee needed as she fired off a round clipping the evil lord on the shoulder. Then the waters had erupted as a full dozen Gunghan’s had sprung up, some tackling Vader directly but the others grabbing up the two women in their long gangly limbs and propelling themselves back deep into the water. There had been a panicked struggle for air for a few moments, until breather masks were attached and they were swiftly moved through the water.

She had barely had time to thank these strange creatures before a slightly dishevelled and very wet Ruwee and captain Rika started hustling her through a maze of streets and buildings. Her grandmother explaining as they hustled how they had raised this small army to rescue her, her voice sad as she recounted the loss of many a brave Gunghan.

 

Captain Rika fumbled with some controls on the door, his eyes hard as he surveyed their surroundings, before hustling them inside. Ruwee swore softly as she entered passwords into they computer login station. That’s it she muttered as one by one the lights came on and with a slow grinding clunking noise the hanger door opened. There in front of them was a gleaming silver Naboo star skiff – a pre imperial J type version but by the looks of it still in top condition.

“It was your mothers”, stated Ruwee quietly with a small degree of pride “the Naboo government gifted it to her after her Naboo Yacht was destroyed in an assassination attempt, she risked her life to rescue Naboo from tyranny and they never forgot ”.

“She’s beautiful”, Leia turned around “you must come with me – it wont be safe for you, for anybody I have put you all in terrible danger”.

Her Grandmother shook her head , “No child, my place is here, the Gunghan’s will hide me deep in the ocean where the imperials do not know about. Jobal will join me shortly. I contacted Sola and they and anybody connected with us have all gone into hiding. The imperials will find only empty houses.”

“I should never have come”, Leia cried out in despair.

“And we are so glad you did, already news of the brave rebel princess is spreading throughout Naboo, like your mother you bring hope with you. And when we are at peace again, we will be publicly able to claim you as our flesh and blood”. Her grandmother embraced her, gazing deep into her eyes as she held on tightly, almost painfully so.

“My dear Leia, my sweet Leia, I wanted you to be safe, but I can see in your eyes you would never stay with us. You are your mother’s daughter. There must be a reason you came now to try and find us. I suspect something spectacular is about to happen, and you will be right in the thick of things – just like your mother,” she laughed wryly “some things never change”.

“So be safe my child, do not fret for us, when it is safe come and seek us, if we are still in hiding leave a message at the crypt”.

“I wish we had more time”, smiled Leia tearfully. “I have so many questions, so many things I wish to know”.

“As do I, but time is short, we arranged a flight path and the time window for clearance is rapidly closing, you have to go now”, she sighed and continued her words rushed “Your mother was brought back to us in her ship, her logs are still there, maybe it will provide the answers you need. Your droids are already aboard and the ship has been prepped for launch. I have left a message for you in her quarters. Be strong, do what needs done, and come back to us”. Ruwee was almost sobbing tears streaming down her face “Go now child and may the force be with you”.

“And with you”, replied Leia, then without looking backwards she keyed open the hatch and made her way to the cockpit.

“Your highness you are alive…see you bucket of rust…I told you she would be fine”. C3PO excitedly spoke in high falsetto voice, his arms jerking as he spoke.

R2D2 batted his dome head against C3PO and squealed in outrage before warbling his usual beeps and warbles in greeting, clearly relieved to see her.

“Well I never…I only said that the empire was sure to catch us this time….”

Leia smiled, tuning out C3PO’s frantic apologies and arguments with R2, it was a small taste of normality and for some reason it grounded and help stabilise her emotions. 

“Give me the controls”, she said sliding into the pilot’s seat, “R2 fire up the convertors, its time to go, we have put this planet in enough danger”.

R2 burbled his agreement and within moments they were flying out the hanger.

“Goodbye Naboo”, whispered Leia. 

 

EXECUTOR

Vader strode down the hall way only vaguely aware of the Stormtroopers saluting him as he passed. His thoughts, his emotions slipping out of his control, just a few more steps, just a few more…..he just needed to reach his haven, desperate to be alone, to get this seething black sea of emotion out. Words and emotions came at him without his desire. He could feel his mind splintering.

 

‘This is a happy moment Padme….’

‘It seems in your anger you killed her’

‘you are a rebel and a traitor, take her away’

“and now your highness we will discuss the location of the rebel base….’

 

Her screams reverberated in his head, ……. what had he done ……she had been so afraid and yet she hadn’t screamed until the very end when her eyes had rolled back, her body spasming against the torture droids intrusion. The screaming, that terror filled scream ……oh Padme what have I done… 

NO NO…he couldn’t think… not now…. Just a few more steps….control, just a few moments longer. 

He keyed in the code, the door sliding smoothly open and then shut as he entered his training room. Soundproof, no prying eyes, insulated against his force emotions. Safe for now. He slowly collapsed to his knees. Only a hunter droid, its red eye slowly blinking, was there to witness the total destruction of a dark lord. The inhuman sound of rage, anger and desolation as the Sith lord collapsed against a Tsunami of emotion and memories. Metal creaked and objects flew as Vader struggled against the tide. Until eventually he curled up almost into a foetal position, no sound except for an unsteady wheezing of his breather mechanism. Nearly 30 minutes passed before Vader slowly stood up, his visor slowly surveying the total destruction of the room. His eyes alighting on the hunter droid, the red light stuttered as though the droid could feel fear, Vader pulled out his light sabre, force clicking the droid on.

 

10\. A Daughter  
EXECUTOR

Darth Vader sat in deep silence – the soothing flow of oxygenated air buffeted his face or what was left of his face. He sighed deeply closing his eyes as images and feelings from long ago threatened to engulf him once again. Instead of the usual anger and hatred that would normally arise, instead he felt such deep sadness and regret. For what could have been, what might have been. 

It had taken several hours and the deaths of a few intel officers to slowly abate his anger, now with not even that to hold onto, he no longer had anything to insulate him from the full impact of what he had learnt. He had finally retreated to his place of solitude the one place he felt remotely human. Here he could remove the machine that fed him continuous painkillers and kept his lungs and organs working. He let his mind start to process slowly the impact of what he had learnt. He had a daughter, Padme’s daughter. All this time he had mourned not just Padme’s death but the death of their child too. When he had learnt of Luke, his anger at Obi wan and his master Palpatine had been immense. Obi wan at least had tried to protect his child, albeit to train him to kill the man his father had become. Palpatine had deliberately lied to him. He had thought he had killed Padme, as such he had shut that part of him off and had never thought to investigate any further. If he had … oh so many ifs. The day he had discovered his son, was forever etched in his brain. Anger, pain, fear all of these feelings had surfaced, but above that the unexpected feelings of fatherhood love, pride and expectation. And now a daughter and not just any daughter but Princess Leia of the Royal House of Alderan, a rebel, his enemy and the girl child he had ruthless tortured on the death star. He sobbed, his hands clenching, a lone tear coursing down his face. Padme’s child, his daughter. She would never forgive him, he could never forgive himself.

Unlike Luke he had caught glimpses of Leia growing up by her false fathers side - Bail, at a young age she was already keenly involved in politics and as the Royal Court of Alderan was perceived as a hot bed of rebel sympathisers – intelligence had kept files on her from her teenage years. He had used them he remembered - when he interrogated her. Not that it had given him much leverage and at the time he had been somewhat surprised and then angered by her will power. To the extent that he had been more ruthless until the realization that she would not betray, she may break but she would not betray her beliefs and a grudging respect had been born. He had not expected such resilience or strength from a spoilt and pampered princess. Why had the force not revealed his kinship with her. Had Bail known, he tried to remember all his dealings with the man, but it was vague, nothing substantial, and it was obvious that Leia did not know of her real father or indeed he would bet she was still unaware of Luke. How she had found out about Padme was a question he would have to wait to ask her. 

Ahh Obiwan, what a tangled web you left. Strangely he felt no anger this time to his former master. It would resurface later no doubt. Instead he remembered a girl in pigtails hiding behind her fathers legs as she stuck her tongue out at Moff when his back was turned. He gave a grunt of laughter as the memory surfaced. She was so like her mother. 

The Executor was still stationed around the planet, all shipping lanes were being monitored. His Lieutenant that had treated Leia in the shuttle on Naboo had reported that she was in shock and appeared disorientated possibly concussed but otherwise her wounds were slight. Possibly why she was emotionally sending in the force. Now he knew of his kinship, he realised that it had not been Luke that he had felt on the planet but his daughter. He would know if she left, and more importantly he knew she would leave soon. She would not stay and hide and put her family or the planet in jeopardy. So again he must play the villain and to protect his daughter he must first capture her. 

A crackle from his intercom, focused his attention.

“My Lord, we are in pursuit of an unidentified ship”.

His heart jumped ‘Leia’ he whispered. “DO not engage, the rebel must be apprehended alive and unharmed, await me at the bridge Admiral”.

“Yes Sir”.

 

NABOO SPACE - LEIA

“R2 – put all the power into our rear shields, if we can just get clear I can jump”, Leia swore as she yanked controls, she ship screeching as it veered left erratically causing C3PO to tumble down the ships passage way. She paid him no heed, her whole attention focused on flying her mothers ship. Fast and sleek it may be, but it was no match for the Tie fighters that had suddenly descended on her without warning. If only Han was here he would crack a joke do some crazy manoeuvre and they would fly clear.

The Tie fighters screamed overhead surrounding the ship, laser cannons blasting at her coming perilously close but with the precision of the top marksmanship of a superior Tie squadron never quite hitting. They were herding her she realised at the exact moment a tractor field took hold, the looming white mass of the Executor appearing above her. The ship shuddered to a halt almost groaning under the intense pressure as it was unnaturally held in mid space

“ Unidentified Ship on heading delta2985 standby to be boarded. Do not resist”.

Leia swore, her eyes shutting, oh Han I was so close. A tear trailed down her face, her hand shaking as she started to flip buttons. She had over heard Han telling a sombre Luke about this manoeuvre. He would kill her if he knew what she was going to do. She laughed hollowly, her eyes wide, mouth stretched in a parody of a smile. She felt something brushing against her and waved it off. ‘I Love you Han’ she thought achingly. 

She would die, that much was certain but her family and what a sweet word that was to her would be safe. How she wished she had been able to meet the others her aunt her nieces and nephews. The rebellion would be safe and most importantly Han. Her Han would be safe. 

EXECUTOR

Vader stood, his attention riveted to the small silver craft. Slowly he let his senses drift and stretch looking for a connection with his daughter. Surprising he found a strong thready link. Stronger than his sons, perhaps due to her lack of any force training. She would perhaps be able to feel it, an awareness but she would probably not identify it or even understand it . 

He felt her, felt her emotions, shock, despair, sadness…. she would need time to recover quietly when he finally had her safely contained. Maybe sedated for her trip. She would stay in his quarters, if his droids were with her he would reprogram C3PO to act as both an informer and escort. He was after all C3PO’s original maker, his access codes would ensure 100% compliance to his wishes. R2D2 was too dangerous and as much as it gave him no satisfaction he would have to be wiped and destroyed.

She was so like her mother. He would keep her safe. She was as much in danger from rebellion as the emperor. No he would take her to the Nogri, as he had been a mind to for his son. They would keep her safe from both the emperor and the rebellion. He would visit when he could and eventually when his son joined him they would be family again. Salvation for him a second chance. He would somehow make up for that he had put his daughter through. She would forgive … eventually until then he would keep her safe. It was after all his duty, a father’s responsibility.

It was Luke’s duty as his son to help him fight Palpatine and they would defeat the emperor and as a family with Leia and Luke by his side they would bring order to the galaxy. 

He sensed her distress, her shock… and something else, something dark and bitter clouded her thoughts. Soon my daughter, soon. He didn’t try to send to her as he did Luke. It would be too much, at this stage. But still he reached out trying to send a calming touch. 

It wasn’t working, if anything she seemed more distraught, more helpless, her fears suddenly coalescence and he felt the steel of her determination and something… NO NO. He almost collapsed as her feelings became clear to him. He acted without thought, and horror and an instinctive need to protect her dictating his actions

He swung around, “RELEASE THE TRACTOR BEAMS, REACLL ALL TIE FIGHTERS”.

Pietts eyes widened but made no comment as orders were relayed

Vader visibly pulled himself together “Send a message tell the captain a mistake of identity , that he is free to go and then move the ship away….fly casually”.

Piett eyebrow rose but he made no comment as the Executor and tie fighters dis engaged and slowly moved away from the small silver skiff. 

Vader looked as the small silver craft became smaller and then with a flash entered hyperspace. He sighed, his gaze hungrily looking out into space. He felt rather than heard Piett’s unspoken question.

“She would have died this time rather than be recaptured”.

“Shall we pursue on this trajectory, my lord?”

“No need Captain Piett, I know this craft, it has a homing beacon attached and I have the access codes”.

Then turning he strode away his black visor hungrily looking out amongst the stars, where his daughter had now left. “Soon my daughter I will have you, I will keep you safe even from yourself. I will not ….cannot loose you like I did Padme, like I did my mother. Preparations will be made. Leia, my daughter”.

 

 

11\. Quarry  
Leia slowly unpinned her hair, her movements were slow and jerky as she pulled off her outer garments and shrugged into an old ratty robe of Hans. Sitting down she exhaled deeply on a sigh, her whole body trembling, she felt a thousand years old. So much had happened and so quickly she felt totally and completely overwhelmed. She was safe – she kept repeating it to herself, she had escaped yet again from ‘his’ clutches but still she felt so alone so terrified, all she wanted was to feel Han’s arms around her. 

She knew rebel protocol, after all she had instigated it; after any imperial interactions – she should remain at a safe drop location for at least five imperial days. Then and only then would a rebel scout ship be allowed to approach and she would be able to transfer and then be debriefed before she was allowed to continue to the rebel base. All too many had died in traps that had been carefully targeted and planned by the imperials. The rebellion especially at this point in the struggle were notorious for being cautious almost to the point of paranoia. Han would be at her side within a spliff second, but his position was tenuous at best within the rebellion and she did not wish to cause it any further strain. So she would wait for five long intolerable days. Just five more days and she could see him again, feel his touch, hear his voice – telling her she would be safe, that she was loved, that she was not alone. 

She picked up the holostick and pressed the button, a blue shimmery figure appeared, her grandmother. 

“Leia, my darling my brave granddaughter , it seems our family reunion must be delayed and our time together must be cut short. I have only a few moments, soon we will rescue you from that evil monsters hands and I will not even consider that we will not succeed. But in case I do not survive and know this I would gladly sacrifice my life for the rebellion ….and for you Leia I would risk all. I am so glad that you came to Naboo. I love you and I am so proud of you and your parents would have been too. Captain Rika has left you his journal of his search Padme’s child and maybe in there you can find the answers you need. You are your mothers’ daughter and I will pray for you every night. May the force be with you always”. 

The message ended in static hum before dissolving away. Leia glanced down at the data journal in her hands, clutching it to her belly she curled into a foetal position as she sobbed as though her heart would break. She sobbed for a mother she would never know, for a life she could have had, she cried for the danger she had put another planet in and a family at risk due to her foolishness. It seemed years of grief were at this moment being finally released. C3PO paused outside her small cabin, his head cocked as he listened to the dreadful tearing sobs that reverberated through the flimsy door. He looked at R2D2 who gave a very soft low mournful tone, before rolling back to the cockpit, C3PO hesitated then for once acted with tact and withdrew to R2D2’s side. They would keep the ship safe and on course it was all they could do.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Darth Vader gazed out into deep space. He could feel his daughter’s pain – full of loneliness, grief, misery and fear. This was what had led him to the dark side, and his heart grew heavy at the thought of his daughter immersed in darkness as he had been. He ached to reach out to her, to bring her close, to comfort her as a father should do. A simple act – but probably it would be forever denied to him. Sighing deeply he strode to his console tapping in a string of code and commands. 

These feelings were foolish and served no purpose he told himself. He needed to be strong if he was to save Leia, if he allowed himself to be swayed by his emotions he would fail Leia as he had failed his mother, and as he had ultimately failed Padme. 

The console lit up as star charts and systems blinked on the screen. He nodded in satisfaction. When Padme had been given the star spliff by Naboo, he had been so full of fear for her safety, that in secret he had sneaked onboard and planted not just one but a multitude of tracking devices. He had told himself at the time it was for Padme’s protection and had ignored the small voice that had prodded him to tell Padme. Now the rash act of a romantic fool would enable him to capture ….no… no …. to save his daughter. 

He examined the data, tapping his fingers in annoyance, it seemed only two trackers were working, the others had been found or were now malfunctioning. Most probably the former knowing Padme’s former captain of the guard. Still it would be enough. He wouldn’t be able to pinpoint her position accurately until she came out of hyperspace, but he could hypothesise based on previous intelligence reports and have Noghri stealth ships positioned at all likely avenues. He would take no chances with his daughter, only the Noghri were loyal enough unto death to be allowed anywhere near his daughter and this loyalty was not to the empire but was to him personally. And most importantly they were unsurpassed in tracking and covert stealth. Even if she somehow managed to make it back to the rebellion, his Noghri could infiltrate and snatch her all without any alarm or indeed even the princess herself being aware of it. He smiled grimly – she would be safe, whatever her inclinations might be to the contrary. He quickly typed in an encrypted message and within minutes the deed was done. His finest Noghri scouts had been given the scent of their newest quarry.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

Leia frowned impatiently as she flicked through the data pages looking for the page about the hospital ship where she had been born and her mother had died. They had dropped out of hyperspace briefly just enough time to check in with Mon Motha and a short all too brief conversation with Han, while she soothed his growing impatience and ire. It had been risky so close to Naboo, but she had needed to hear his voice again. Then there had been nothing else but to wait while they jumped to the safe contact point. She had little else to do but read the journal from start to finish, strange to think that this detailed the search for her as a babe. It was a remarkable and thorough investigation in what must have been a difficult and unpredictable time. But it offered only hints and tantalising glimpses of her mothers life. But failed entirely to answer the other question that burned deep in her soul – who was her father? 

She tapped her fingers, to be so close, to have come so far, she had risked so much to reach this point. Breathing deeply – her fingers flew as she brought up the star charts, tracking the flight path, she looked at the tantalisingly close location of the hospital star base – Mehta.

“R2” she snapped without looking up, “change co-ordinates – we will be making a short stop”.

12\. THE CHASE

 

……………………………………………………………………………………

Vader looked in consternation at the data screen, of all the possible locations for Leia to choose – why that one. What possible reason could she have for going there. It was mostly a waste planet now – the empire having long stripped it of all its resources in building the first death star. The mere thought of that cursed planet brought forward long suppressed memories. Small tendrils of anger slowly permeated his brain, how dare she go there. Old feelings rose -the fear, the taint of betrayal, and then anger. How dare she. The impertinent child, this… this he would not countenance.

He transmitted the location to his lead Noghri agents, and then pondered the meaning of this latest development. What did it mean. He would meditate perhaps it would give him some measure of peace. Until then, he could not chance his daughter to the same fate that met her mother on that cursed planet. Flicking open the comms he snapped out a terse command. 

“Admiral Piett – set course for Mustapha”. He had no sooner uttered the command than the trace location from Padme’s old ship suddenly altered. Leia had re-entered hyperspace, cursing he re-activated the sensors for optimal trajectory. His gloved hand tapping in annoyance. Leia as a rebel he could anticipate and comprehend, but Leia as a daughter was beyond his skills and he could weep at his lack of understanding of his daughter. He had no idea what she was doing, for sure this was no rebel countenanced mission, for Leia this was deeply personal. He tapped out a quick set of instructions to the Nohgri, and then commed Piett, “Admiral – belay that order but have the fleet on stand by”.

Turning he stared at the deep stretches of space – “where are you my daughter”. Perhaps he should take the time to try and understand this women who was his daughter, until Leia dropped out of hyperspace there was little else to be gained. Information would lead to understanding, with that would come a connection and maybe just maybe a force connection he could meditate on. Like Luke he would be able to sense her presence even should she abandon Padme’s ship. 

He would learn all he could of Leia, not as a rebel or potential sympathiser. But as a person. Unlike Luke she was a member of a royal household. Even her first steps and her first boyfriend should have been officially and unofficially followed by both imperial press and the gutter slime. Alderaan was no longer, but the empire was thorough in collecting and archiving all. He had devoured every school report of Luke’s and had even eagerly read up on the rebel news for possible stories of his son. But they were few and far between. But Leia’s entire life from baby teeth to her first dance - it would all be documented and recorded. Unanticipated eagerness filled him as he accessed the mainframe, his hand paused as he hesitated. He was treading a dangerous path, his feelings were strained and conflicted. He needed to meditate on how best this new information of his daughter would serve him, but not yet, not yet. For now like a proud papa he wanted to know more of his daughter’s life. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Leia grinned almost maniacally as she ignored C3PO’s litany of complaints and R2 D2’s annoyed screeching. She knew she was out of control. Duty, logic, reason - all had deserted her, obsession and need fuelled her. The rebellion didn’t truly really need her now, the final dance had started and she was no longer the lead dancer. But this need, this compulsion it ruled her she had to know, she had to find out more. 

It had only been a short stop at Mustapha. The planet was obviously pivotal in her Mothers death, as she had been alive and well when she had left Coruscant. She had been intrigued by the notes Captain Rika had left. However one glimpse at that ravaged and dead planet had reaffirmed Rika’s conclusion that whatever had happened on that planet, no clues or answers would be found there. 

Next she had stopped briefly at the hospital base Mehta which had been her Mothers next stop, but like Rika before her she had discovered little. Even with R2’s ability to hack into and communicate with most main frames, it was pointless. It was only when she had checked time reference points did she realise that this system had replaced an older version. Files had been copied over it was true but strangely those critical dates were blank, checking the data banks she found that a mysterious benefactor had gifted this system including new droid medics and had sent a team to allow a seamless transition from old to new. For some reason she had pictured her false father Bail Organa. Logically she knew she could not be certain, but some inner voice whispered that this was truth. He certainly had the resources and the connections. But what was he hiding. What was he scared of. 

Unlike Rika before her she had found out one dreadful truth. Whilst no record of that period existed, the docking mainframe had, and remarkably R2 was able to crack the code- one log entry existed that made her blood freeze. A naboonian star spliff had docked with two passengers one injured man one pregnant female, cargo two droids. Immediate emergency response teams were activated to the craft as the women was in birthing distress. No further details were recorded. Two standard imperial days later the same ship had departed two passengers one man, a newborn boy infant and a Cargo of funeral casket with female body. There was no doubt in her mind, she was that infant they must have disguised her sex to further protect her. But how had her mother died, was the man that travelled with them her father. Her hands had clenched. To be so close and still no answers just further questions.

“R2 start the docking procedure, C3PO you will remain on board whilst R2 and I enter”, Leia raised her hand as C3PO started to gesticulate, “No arguments, I need R2 to hack any security devices and you need to have the ship prepped for immediate take off”. R2 beeped softly almost preening as he whirled around. 

Leia smiled grimly – it was reckless even Han would agree so. Perhaps he was rubbing off on her, but she had to know more. And this was perhaps her last opportunity, the emperor was away visiting his new shiny toy and Vader would probably still be smarting from his wounds in Naboo. Nobody would think of looking for her here. It was perhaps the safest time, even to herself it sounded a weak argument. But she needed to see her mother’s apartment. According to Rika it had been sealed off and even he was unable to gain access. When he had made some discreet enquiries it was at this point in his investigation that he had been warned away. Fearing for exposure he had reluctantly concluded his investigations and returned to Naboo. 

Now it was her turn and she would not, could not fail. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Vader gazed at the small non descript hospital base. He had missed her yet again but what was her aim, this merry chase served no purpose. If she was 

Padme had died here, he could sense it. A deep sense of grief and sadness welled deep within him. If he had known that he had not killed her, he would have searched for her, and maybe he would have found his children and maybe salvation. But he had not, when Palpatine had uttered those words of damnation that he in his anger had killed her. He had reached out not wanting to believe, but the connection was no longer there, it had been severed as only death can do. In his madness and grief he had succumbed even more the dark side, surrendering himself as Palpatine’s slave to do his bidding. Now not even Padme would recognise Anakin form the monster he had …. chosen… to become. 

He sighed his heart felt heavy the years of living weighing heavily on him. Why was she doing this. It was foolish, unwise and without reason. This was not the actions he expected from the Princess of Alderaan. He picked up the holocrom looking again at pictures of Leia growing up. He noted the pictures or rather lack of pictures of her at many family events. The official news citing her absence as childish ailments or scholarly activities. But the holos for her with her family were the most telling fo all, they seemed to be distant with her, only Bail would appear in pictures actually touching her. The others from her juvenile day showed her looking mutinous and resentful, but one had caught her looking forlorn watching on as the Queen fussed over the other children. Later as shew grew older she learned to mask her feelings - His hand fisted her countenance frozen and frosty. Earning her the nick name the ice princess. It was a stark difference to Lukes toothy grin. school pictures, brimming with life, hope and dreams. Luke may have been deprived of materialistic things, but it was obvious that he had been deeply loved by Beru and Lars. 

“Leia what are you searching for”, just then his tracking coms buzzed into life. Vader snatched up the screen, his heart stuttering for a second …Coruscant

“Daughter, what are you doing?”

 

13\. 13. Ghosts  
The Noghri agent Draka prostrated himself before the 3 dimensional figure of Darth Vader that was projected onto the small holocron display. Draka felt pride well up in himself, to be addressed by their Lord himself, his mission was clear, his orders implicit, he would not fail. 

He growled low swearing his allegiance and loyalty, truly this would bring honour to his clan.   
As a Noghri - the ultimate hunter, he found his new mission interesting, usually they were used as silent invisible assassins, chosen for the most secretive and dangerous assignments. This search, locate and detain operation would be more worthy of his teams hunter skills. To sweeten the operation they were to evade all imperial forces and at risk of their own lives they were to protect the target from all possible harm including self-inflicted intentions. Encrypted mission details were already being transmitted including tracker beacon identification frequencies. 

“..use any means necessary but I want the princess unharmed and in your custody, I will arrive at the rendezvous point in 1 imperial day.” Darth Vader paused menacingly raising his finger “Do not fail me Draka.”

Darth Vader’s figure flickered and then disappeared. Draka looked around at his small team. They all looked at him expectantly their faces stoic but their nostrils flared and eyes sparkled as they caught the excitement of new hunt. A worthy hunt indeed.

CORUSCANT

Leia let her hand slide over a table, strange no dust, the apartment even smelled fresh. Somebody was maintaining this apartment to an almost fanatical extent. It was if it had been stuck in a time capsule. An old court dress faded now, lay discarded forlornly on the floor as though it had been thrown there in great haste. A cup its contents long evaporated sat on a low side table. Everywhere she looked she saw ghosts, she could almost picture her mother as she paced these floors heavily pregnant and awaiting news perhaps of her lover. The apartment had long been abandoned but she could taste the intense sadness and grief that still resided here. But still she had no answers, she had found an old box filled with silly things, things that perhaps meant something to her mother. Perhaps gifts, mementoes from her lover - a dried flower probably native to Naboo, some sand in a small glass bottle, a sparkling stone that twinkled in the light. She let her hand sift through the personal treasures. She fished out the Jade snippot from around her neck rubbing it softly, before laying it down beside the flower. 

“R2 have you found anything?” Leia queried the droid who was whirling around the apartment chirping and trilling at this and that, clearly disapproving of their presence here. Strange how a droid could have so much personality.   
R2 gave a long electronic sigh. Then trundled forward to a port hidden by the light switch, extended a long silver adapter, it whirled and rotated. 

A human size hologram appeared on the floor, a hauntingly beautiful women appeared. She smiled, her hand caressing her pregnant swollen belly. Her face looked wan and strained.

“Mother,” Leia exclaimed.

The women, Padme her mother took no notice. Her message recorded decades ago for a man that never came. 

“Ani I am scared, terrible things are happening.” Padme held her breath as she clutched her belly, then let out a soft rueful laugh “The baby kicks, my time is close. Ani I fear that Chancellor Palpatine knows of us, there are droids watching the apartment, watching me. I fear he knows you are the father. I am scared Ani, scared at the way he looks at me. I can’t stay here.” Padme glanced up, her brow furrowing. The transmission ended, only to start up almost immediately. It was Padme again but this time she was dressed in a utility suit as she hurriedly strapped it on.   
“Be quiet C3PO I know what I am doing, Ani, Obi Wan has been here, the Jedi temple has been destroyed all the Jedi’s killed. He said…he said,” she shook her head wildly as she burst into tears “no no I won’t believe it. Ani he’s your friend he can help us, he knows about the baby. Ani I am coming for you.” Padme held her hands over eyes as she sobbed before steeling herself. “My love come back to me, please nothing else matters just come back to me.” 

Leia stood, her pale hand over her mouth, eyes wide as the transmission ended. 

“Play it again.”

R2 gave a soft beep and then did as his mistress commanded.

Again and again Leia watched the transmission, her heart aching for her beautiful Mother. Tears brimming at her heart felt plea to her lover. 

“My father, my father is Anakin Skywalker.” Leia was stunned it was the only explanation.

R2 gave a soft almost guilty beep.

Leia ignoring him paced the floor “That means … it means Luke is my brother, a twin? I am a daughter of a Jedi?”

She held up her palms looking at them in consternation. “I guess it must have skipped me.”

R2 gave a long mournful wail. Leia glanced down at this a growing suspicion germinating. “You knew, you knew my father was Anakin?”

R2 shuffled on his wheels before giving a soft apologetic beep. 

“You knew all this time and you didn’t tell me the truth, does Luke know?”

R2 gave a negative beep. Leia whirled around “how could you not tell me, how could you, you are a droid, you served my parents, you serve me, how could you?”

R2 remained silent.

“Is … is my father alive?”

R2 gave a soft beep, and Leia gave a sharp indrawn breath. “He’s been badly injured though?”

Another beep.

“R2 where is he…. is he on Tatooine?”

R2 gave a long mournful trill, before whirling around. His actions clearly speaking his agitation. It was time to go.

“Fine but we will talk about this further, contact C3PO and get him to ready the ship. Save the transmission, I’m going to pack some of my mother’s possessions.”

As she was picking up the box, that she felt an uneasiness in her stomach, the hairs on her neck bristled. She suddenly had a very bad feeling. Following that thought came all the other times she had a bad feeling about things. She was a Jedi’s daughter after all. 

“R2 we need to leave now.” She yelled and grabbed the box and almost ran to the door, her hand already drawing the small discreet blaster in her hand. 

The glass window shattered, canisters of gas raining down through the aperture. 

R2 squealed and trundled to the bedroom, knocking into Leia and letting her know by his urgent squeals and beeps to come with him. Coughing and spluttering she followed the droid into the bedroom. Slamming her hand against the controls to shut the door. What now they were trapped. And large window’s framed the Coruscant skyline. Perfect for the imperials to crash through.

R2 was already at an access port with a muted whirl, steel plates came slammed down over the windows and doors, the bed slid to the side and a hatchway popped open. 

Leia cocked an eyebrow “Impressive”. 

R2 gave an immodest chirp. 

Leia grinned and peered down, her smile turning to a frown as she realised the dimensions of the hatch. “R2 you won’t fit in here.”

R2 beeped and trilled, his head whirling as he encouraged her to get moving. Biting her lip she started down the hatch “Luke’s going to kill me. R2 try and make it to a safe house.”

As soon as her head disappeared through the hatch. The bed slid back into place and R2 went to standing motionless by the bed. Trying to look innocent as possible. It didn’t take long, before the wall beside the door imploded, several pale grey skinned beings propelled themselves through the hole. Within seconds the room had been torn apart, the hatch under the bed located. With growls and chittering, three of them immediately disappeared down the hatch another two went through the apartment. R2 rolled forward stopping as the last grey looking alien showed his teeth growling he pointed a silver looking cylinder at the droid and R2 knew no more.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Leia ran full pelt down the streets, dragging a scarf around her head and drawing it over her face. She kept looking back surprised but pleased that so far she could see no signs of pursuit. No white imperials suits and no signs of any bounty hunters. They must have triggered some alarm despite R2 assurance that he had disarmed the system. She was only a few minutes hard run from the ship docks. What was she going to tell Luke, she lost his faithful droid, she was his sister and their mother was royalty.

 

14\. The hunted

EXECUTOR

“Continue your search discreetly Draka, it is unlikely that the princess will be so foolish as to return to her ship but if she should do so arrange a welcoming committee. I will be there in one imperial hour.” Darth Vader paused before adding ominously “Do not underestimate your quarry again Draka.” 

Switching off the com, he turned to survey the mass of information he was filtering through. His daughter had lived a far more colourful life than he had previously appreciated. Or perhaps he admitted to himself it was that now he was now looking at her escapades from a father’s perspective. What was currently raising his ire however was the rebel mission his son had planned to liberate that no good Captain Solo. He had viewed the holo’s previously and had admired how much his son had grown in the force. His son’s agility, focus and concentration was most impressive. Now however reviewing the clips he became aware of just how pivotal and dangerous Leia’s role had been. He had spent some time ranting and berating at his reckless son, cursing the worthless Han solo and if Leia had not killed Jabba he would have been planning to have a very private meeting with Jabba. His stomach had turned as he had watched as Jabba had mauled and touched his scantily clad daughter. A few training droids and an unfortunate messenger droid had borne the brunt of his anger and still it coiled and writhed inside him desiring an outlet. Vader felt what was left of his burnt lips stretch in a parody of a smile perhaps he should contact the emperor now; he could hardly have cause for concern that his apprentice was treading the light side of the force. 

 

CORUSCANT

Leia hurried along the neglected gangways, trying to compose herself, whilst her heart hammered like a Bantha, she had been compromised there could be no other explanation. Earlier as she approached the docking station her hairs had risen on her neck, she had hesitated for a few seconds as the sick cold feeling intensified in her belly, remembering all the times she had experienced it previously, she had abruptly veered away jumping multiple layers in a fool hardy rush to get away from danger. An hour of hard running had found her in the lower levels of coruscant. 

Stupid Stupid she berated herself she was in the heart of enemy territory with a bounty of over a million credits on her head and she thought she could just saunter in, take what she needed and get away with it. She started listing in her head everything she had done wrong, all the risks she had taken. Where was the ice princess now she told herself furiously? She had always been so calm and composed under threat even against the worst scum like Jabba to Darth Vader himself. Now she was falling apart in an emotional mess, she had lost her mother’s ship, Luke’s droids and was in danger of ending up as an imperial prisoner again. Buck up she chided her inner self get a grip and start planning. 

First she needed safe shelter, then away off this accursed corrupt planet and then only then would she think about what she had discovered. She was a Jedi’s daughter, Luke was her brother and her father the greatest Jedi of all time was still alive. 

But first safety, she couldn’t use any of the usual safe houses, many had been compromised previously. And she had no desire to approach any of dignitaries she knew when she had been a Alderan diplomat, if they had stayed in Coruscant their loyalties would have to be in question. The emperor had ways of twisting and corrupting people, and those that did not bend, he had his assassins despatch them. 

They had called the lower levels of Coruscant, the beggar lanes, where the lowest of the low lived, worked and ultimately died. Only the very desperate resided here and she could feel the eyes of the many as she passed by. Assessing her, evaluating her vulnerability, her worth. There was little in the way of imperial presence here and she felt a shiver of fear deep in her belly, the panic of the hunted. 

She closed her eyes, and breathed out on a sigh ‘Luke I need you’ and then without thought she whispered ‘father’.In that one word all the feelings of pain, the loneliness and fear. And then a miracle, a feeling of warmth and love so strong she almost stumbled. She paused, eyes wide as she stood letting the emotion flood her body. As suddenly as it had appeared it was gone, she straightened, her eyes narrowed, the sense of danger increased but Leia smiled she was her father’s daughter the man without fear. The greatest Jedi who had ever lived. Let the scum come she was more than a match for them. And now she had a plan, not only to get her off this accursed planet but one that may bring help that the rebellion desperately needed. 

She hurried along a small diminutive figure, but she radiated confidence and strength. A moment later as if by fate she caught a sky taxi dropping off a client. Jumping in she requested the cargo docks. 

 

@*@*@*@* @*@*@*@* @*@*@*@*

 

 

The man scowled at her, too old to be swayed by a young pretty lady, he stood his ground as he spat on the ground. 

“Three hundred.”

 

“Lady I told you, we are a cargo ship, we don’t take no passengers.”

 

Leia narrowed her eyes, before smiling calmly. She was a diplomat she played the game well this man was no match for her. 

 

“If you are a cargo ship with no amenities for paying passengers then I am paying far too much”, she replied reasonably. “I would be no problem captain, and the 300 credits would be your easiest make this year.” 

“Lady, nobody wants to go to Tatooine.” The captain looked up into the Coruscant sky in exasperation.

“I do.” Leia paused and then pushed all her persuasive talents, lowering her voice, leaning forward as she whispered in his ear “300 captain, enough to replace that patched up inverter. Captain it is a wise choice.”

“Yes, yes it is a wise choice, very well you can berth in the cooks quarters, we leave immediately.”

Leia hid her smirk until the captain turned away, and then with a grin she hustled after him. The force was with her and it felt good. 

 

PADME APARTMENT

Vader surveyed the damage, regretting in his haste that he had not informed the Noghri to limit the collateral damage. A glint at his feet that pierced his visor instrumentation had him bending, retrieving a small jappor snippet pendant. His leathered gauntleted glove closing on it fiercely. 

He turned to look at the deactivated droid, “Leave us, continue your search reporting on my private com.“ The Noghri bowed in unison and then melted away. 

With a casual flick of his fingers, a switch on the retraining bolt was disabled and with a flurry of furious shrill whines and squeals R2 activated. His head swivelled this way and that way until it came to stop on Vader. Silence as they surveyed each other and then R2 let out a cautious beep. 

“You know who I once was.” It was not a question. R2 let out a long resigned warble. 

Silence reigned in the apartment as the two old friends surveyed each other, one droid, one part man part machine. Then on litany of squeals and beeps the R2 unit let out what sounded surprising like a scold. 

Vader was strangely calm as he accepted the plucky droids rebuke “Enough my old friend, now tell me what my daughter was doing here.” Possession and need resonated in every syllable.

R2 gave a disapproving grumbling squeal before rolling forward to the com socket. Extending his adapter it whirled backwards and forwards yet again. 

 

Darth Vader rocked back as Padme’s holographic image appeared in front of him. Decades has past, she was dust in her tomb and yet the sight of her could still fill him with terrible terrible longing.

 

“Ani I need to leave Coruscant, I fear we are in danger, terrible things are happening.” Padme held her breath as she clutched her belly, then let out a soft rueful laugh “The baby kicks my love, my time is close…. Ani I fear that Chancellor Palpatine knows of us, there are droids watching the apartment, watching me. I fear he knows you are the father. I am scared Ani, scared at the way he looks at me. I can’t stay here.” Padme glanced up, her brow furrowing. The transmission ended, only to start up almost immediately. It was Padme again but this time she was dressed in a utility suit as she hurriedly strapped it on. Her face awash with both anguish and determination.

 

“Be quiet C3PO I know what I am doing, Ani, Obi Wan has been here, the Jedi temple has been destroyed all the Jedi’s killed …even…he said…he said,” she shook her head wildly as she burst into tears “no no I won’t believe it. Ani he’s your friend he can help us, he knows about the baby. Ani I am coming for you.” Padme held her hands over eyes as she sobbed before steeling herself. “My love come back to me…please nothing else matters just come back to me.” 

 

Darth Vader mighty lord of Sith, fell to his knees as he listened to a message he had never received. R2 gave a soft trill of enquiry. 

 

“Play it again.” He rasped.

 

R2 played it again and again as Vader caught in his dead wife’s memory demanded it. Torturing himself with every word, every syllable. 

Finally he strode to look out at the Coruscant skyline. “R2 delete it.” Taking out a com device from his belt. He remained motionless as his personal Guard entered the apartment. 

“Take the droid to my quarters on the Executor with the other droid. Deactivate them and leave the restraining bolts on.”

“Yes sir

“Lieutenant, contact my adjutant and inform him this mess is to be cleared up by sundown.”

“Yes Sir, Sir should I contact intelligence to start investigation?”

“No Lieutenant, leave this to me.” 

The soldiers departed with a sharp salute, carrying the bulky droid. Their groans as they manoeuvred the droid onto a transporter floating to Vader on the wind. 

All this time, he had blamed her, as much as he despaired at her death. His one consolation, his excuse was in the end she had turned from him, betrayed him. And now this the greatest betrayal of all was from him. She had remained true to him, despite everything she had heard from Obwan she had believed in him. He could see Obwan slipping unseen onto her ship, Obwan knew her, knew she would run to him. There was no anger now, just deep sadness for a mistakes so many mistakes that could never be put right. 

In that moment that pivotally moment in the chancellery office he had made a choice but in reality he was a puppet and the puppet master was still controlling him. Threatening his family yet again. The Emperor must die, and he needed Luke to join with him to destroy him. Only together with Luke embracing the dark side could they destroy Palpatine. And Leia he would keep safe. He would not fail her.

 

‘FATHER’ 

He stilled as the force carried her plea to him, she was scared, desperate and alone. Helpless to resist he closed his eyes and reaching to the part that was still Anakin, he answered her remembering all his love for Padme, their happiness at her pregnancy and sent it back.

For a split moment in time he basked in the tenuous force link with his daughter, until almost with a snap it broke. Her force powers too untrained and recent too maintain the link. 

Perhaps he should of increased his fear to the point she would have made easy prey to the Noghri, but he found to his surprise his instinctive reaction was to nurture and protect, it both surprised and worried him.

Flicking out his com he tuned to Raka, “She’s in the lower section on the North Quadrant.”

‘Ani, come back to me’, a ghostly hand on his face.

“Padme?” There was no answer, he shivered and he took one final look around, there was only ghosts left here. He would not return again, Anakin was dead. 

 

 

I have a favour to ask, many years ago I read a very angsty but wonderful story where Vader searching for Luke, captured her sister (she wasn’t Leia) I Think her name was Lucrindra or something like that. He recognises she is force adept but she escapes (shes a bit of a hard arse) she knows Luke is her brother though Luke doesn’t. And stays with him. She gets captured by Vader again and well lots of wonderful drama. Been searching for ages looking for this but can’t find it. If you know it can you copy the link into the review bit


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